Today, the great "Kamuza" answers the rest of your questions. Patson Banda discusses his biggest mistake on a football field, why everyone had long hair in his day, why he was forced out of Orlando Pirates, and how it all started for him and his family.
Did you ever cost your team a game? – Xesha
Patson Banda: No one is infallible. Yes, I have made a mistake that cost my team, and it stands out even today. Unfortunately, the person I made a mistake against is no more, he is late, that man tells no tale. So let me remind you, "Chippa" Percy Moloi, Tebogo's father, was playing for Moroko Swallows. We were on top of our game on that particular day, we were leading 1-0. Five minutes to go, I made a save and Percy Moloi had gone past the goal line, he was actually out of the field. So there I was, rolling the ball on the ground, he came from behind while I was rolling the ball, he picked it up and scored a goal. Just imagine! I wasn't aware that there was still an opponent behind me, that's the worst scenario.
Sparks, were you guys forced to have long hair in your day or was it the choice of the players? – Mbixane
PB: It was because of what was happening during that time. It was the era of Percy Sledge. When Percy came to South Africa, we saw his afro, a nice beautiful, I don't want to say handsome because you become beautiful if you are handsome enough, depending on how you complement your hair with your clothing. Everybody wanted to be at that standard set by Percy Sledge, and moreover it was set by Kaizer Chiefs before that. When Kaizer Motaung arrived back (from the US) he came with an afro, and wearing bell-bottoms. Trousers with no pockets! You can't be against nature, it's evolution. It was just the time.
When did you leave Orlando Pirates and why? – Philamas Vibration
PB: Now you are changing football into politics. I think it is important for people to know. Things weren't well in Orlando Pirates by then. There were wars, battles, people being killed, stabbed, and stuff like that. I was perceived to be a stumbling block to those who wanted to own Orlando Pirates by then, I was against some of the things that they were doing as leaders of Orlando Pirates. There's always this thing, "majority rules". So the majority decided that Sparks was no longer toeing the line, so I was sold in absentia. There were no negotiations, they were actually getting rid of me as a stumbling block. Mr Khoza can attest to that if he's honest, he wasn't part of that but he can attest to that. It wasn't because I wanted to leave Orlando Pirates – I was forced to leave Orlando Pirates. I don't hold any grudges, I was one player not respected as such, but more feared.
Tell us about life growing up and how football started for you. – Nikolaos Kirkinis
PB: My life as a youngster, my father was a wine steward… That is someone who works in the hotel at the bar and mixes the concoctions. He wasn't earning a lot but it was enough for us to survive. I went to school like any other person; the most important part of my life is that I grew up in an environment whereby it was like the jungle. It was survival of the fittest, man eat man, dog eat dog. It was the same like the Cape Flats… I grew up under that kind of life. But I was fortunate in that my parents and those around us contained us to such an extent that we just wanted to play football. We went away from that other type of life of drugs, smoking, drinking and robbing people. We could see where our future lay. We were in the same vicinity as Moroka Swallows. That's where it all started for me. I played for them as an infant at the ages of 9, 10, 11, and 12. Then I became a player who could be used by any team. I was the best player for any other team, I ended up not playing for a specific team.
Then one day the teachers at my school spoke to my principal and told him what a great player I was. This principal was a staunch Pirates supporter. He took the news to Pirates and sold me to them without ever actually having seen me play. That's how Pirates came to my place to negotiate with me. I was kidnapped by Pirates, I could never stay at home, they had to hide me in Attridgeville when I was still at school in Soweto. To be honest, I'm the first player in South Africa who was kidnapped by a team.
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