Big flop Siphelele Mthembu

Over the years SA has produced players that where billed as a future stars, instead they became big time failures. South Africa has its fair share of good promising players but most of those players have been promising for more than five years, and so far there’s no evidence of a good player. Some have not even been considered for the national team but they still billed as promising. Some are said to be promising youngsters, and are still promising youngsters at the age of 24, really now, how can you be a youngster when you already have a wife and child. One such player is the still “promising” Siphelele Mthembu. Mthembu was once in the books of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates with a lot of controversy. Both these big clubs where involved in a “dog fight over the youngster, at the time he was 19, who was unsure of where his home is. Eventually he signed for pirates but now where is he on the soccer circuit; he was just a big flop. Another big flop was talented and tricky midfielder, Masibusani Zongo. This player is blessed with natural raw talent, he’s got skill, pace, and vision, but lacks discipline. That discipline is the reason why he is still a promising instead of a great player. However there are players who are currently living up to expectation. Stars like Siyanda Xulu, Mandla Masngo, Thulani Serero, and the list goes on. I just hope they don’t disappear into the wilderness

Defying the odds at 34, Siyabonga Nomvethe

In the 90s, there was a hit song by the late Aaliyah – Age ain’t nothing but a number, this song must be played each and every day by Moroka swallows 34 year old striker, Siyabonga ‘Bhele’ Nomvethe. I say this because many players his age have already applied for ‘football retirement pension’, but not Bhele, he instead is teaching the youngsters of South Africa how to strike the ball. He is able to outrun/outpace defenders aged around 24, he is able to play for 90 min without showing any signs of tiredness or laziness and most importantly he is able to find the back of the net without any hesitation. This man is simply defying the odds this current ABSA premier ship season by leading the sleeping giant, Moroka Swallows, as serious contenders for the league title, and he has done so by becoming the top goal marksman with 20 goals so far in the whole campaign and he has even earned himself a possible call up to the national squad. This is good news considering the lack of strikers in the squad, but sad considering we had to go to the ‘old age home’ to try and solve our terrible potency in front of goal. For how long will the ‘old age home’ provide us with their ageing stars before they complain too much? Should we expect to see a national team with players who will need oxygen masks, walking sticks and a urinal because we keep calling them up to the national team even at a very old age? SAFA please work on your youth development because I don’t want to see my beloved Bafana Bafana having an average age of players who are 50 years and above.