Nhlakanipho Ntuli was a child star who gained great acclaim for his exploits in the Orlando Pirates development set-up, which naturally created the expectation that he would go on to follow a long list of players to become all-time greats at the club. Instead, the midfielder was shipped off to lands afar, where he has enjoyed stints in the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and now Sweden. Barring a one-season stint in the PSL with now-defunct Free State Stars, "Nanana", as he is affectionately known, has spent the better part of the last nine years in Europe, with his Buccaneers dream having seemingly dissipated. Soccer Laduma's Delmain Faver caught up with the 27-year-old player as he talks about how his career has, up to this point, shaped up.
Delmain Faver: Nanana, you made a move to Sweden back in February, signing with Dalkurd FF in the country's third tier, called Ettan Fotboll. Just tell us about how it came about as there were a number of teams believed to be interested in your services at the time…
Nhlakanipho Ntuli: The move happened during the winter stop (break). I got a call from my agent saying that there was interest in Sweden. I already had offers that were 90% done in Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia), but at the end I decided to stay in Europe.
DF: You have gone on to make 14 appearances in all competitions for the club. How would you rate your performances?
NN: We had a really good first half of the season. We didn't concede a lot of goals and, as a six, which is a new position for me, my job is to always make sure we try and come out from the build-up play and to always be there when we lose the ball, picking up the second balls. So, it has been a good 14 games, lot of hard work, which put us in a top position, but I'm a player that doesn't focus a lot on what he has done (in the) last game. I always work to be better in the next game, so the job is not done. Our goal is to win the league, so every day I'm pushing myself to the limit.
DF: Most recently, you were plying your trade in Slovakia for Kosice. Why the shock decision to leave a club where you were a regular and where you actually seemed to have rediscovered the scoring touch?
NN: My coach who brought me there left. Our goal in Slovakia was to get promotion, but it didn't happen, so when the coach left, I wanted to move somewhere else. I still had two years left on my contract, but I had an offer from the First Division in Lithuania, so I left. But sadly, we didn't come to an agreement with that team, but with FC Kosice, everything was fine. I had a good time in there, so it was (a) mutual agreement.
DF: Not many South African players have gone abroad and done well the way you have. What is the reason behind your success in Europe?
NN: Sticking to the plan. From the day I arrived in Europe (in) 2014, I told myself no matter what happens in the journey, I want to stay here as long as I can. So, if you stick with Plan A, you will do whatever it takes with your career to make sure you are always on top of your game, and that needs your 110% commitment in your career and focus on the thing that brought you here. Once you get that right, everything becomes easy on and off the field because you are always in a good state of mind to make good decisions.
DF: There are not a lot of familiar faces, in the form of South African players, at the clubs you've gone to. Does this make it a bit more difficult for you to settle into new environments?
NN: I have been in four different countries now and I have realised that it's become more easy to settle in a team or any country when you do your job well on the field. In this game, people don't respect you because of how you dress or what car you drive, but they respect you because of what you do on the field, so you should earn that respect by giving everything on the field. Then it becomes easier to settle in any place because you are just doing what you came here to do. That has been the story of my career here – I just do what I have to do.
DF: Well, as a great prospect who broke through at Orlando Pirates in your teen years, do you feel like the pressure exerted on players like yourself and Augustine Mahlonoko inhibits your ability to really develop your full potential?
NN: Of course, there is pressure, especially when you break through a big team with all the top players. In the first team, you actually have no time to develop. You have to deliver as soon as you step in the team, so sometimes it's hard for the youngsters to handle that. That's why you see players are introduced and after a few months you don't hear anything about them. It's all about mentality because that chance can only maybe come once.
DF: Many thought you would gain legendary status at the Soweto giants, having come through their youth system. Is it disappointing that life had other ideas for you?
NN: To be honest, going overseas was the best thing Orlando Pirates could do for me. Since my time in the development, my goal was to be in Europe, play here and even after football, stay here, build my life here. So, I never thought about legendary status at Pirates because that wasn't in my plan. So, I have no disappointment that I didn't play for the first team because everything worked out the way I wanted, which was to play in Europe. And I'm really grateful to Orlando Pirates, who took me as a 10-year-old Umlazi township kid and gave me a better life overseas because that's what I wanted from the development.
DF: Let's switch to the PSL. You are 27 now and the question is whether returning to South Africa was ever an option that you were considering while still clubless, given that you had a short stint with Free State Stars back in 2017?
NN: We had a chat with two clubs there, so there was a possibility, but it wasn't something that I wanted to happen, to be honest, because when you are clubless, sometimes you start to look everywhere because I was even close to going to Indonesia, but I knew something in Europe would come. It was just a matter of time.
DF: You are now in your fourth different country after leaving home in 2014. Would you say that you prefer to test unknown waters abroad rather than returning to the comfort of Mzansi?
NN: I am good here, I feel good here, I have my family here. Like I said, I'm a person who always sticks to Plan A, which is wanting to play in Europe as much as I can.
DF: Would coming back to the PSL be in the pipeline for you? Do you feel that you need to prove a point to show that you are one of the best midfielders in the country?
NN: I have nothing to prove in South Africa… but not only in South Africa, everywhere I go. To be honest, I have nothing to prove. For me, it isn't about being one of the best midfielders in the country or being in the national team. It's about enjoying my career, enjoying the journey, focusing on me and being the best version of myself as a footballer and as a human being. So, wanting to prove a point is just a waste of energy and creating unnecessary pressure for yourself. And I don't have time to feel the pressure, I just put the foot in front of the other, control what I can control and see what the outcome is.
DF: Do you feel that you are underappreciated in your own country of birth?
NN: No, I wouldn't say I'm not appreciated. I get so much love and support from the people through social media from home and, for me, that is amazing. I'm grateful. The most important thing is to just do your best for your career, put one foot in front of the other, control what you can control and see what the best outcome is. Worrying about who appreciates you or not is just pointless. You have to focus on the bigger picture, which is your career.
DF: Nanana, thank you so much for your time and all the best.
NN: Thank you, my brother.
NHLAKANIPHO NTULI FACT FILE
Date of birth: 10 February 1996
Place of birth: Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal
Nickname: Nanana
Jersey number: 6
Position: Midfielder
Club: Dalkurd FF (Sweden)
Previous clubs: Orlando Pirates juniors, FC Twente (Holland), Orlando Pirates (on loan), Jong FC Twente (Holland), Free State Stars, Sportis Lochowo (Poland), FC Kosice (Slovakia)
Honours: National U17 representation, national U20 representation
