You were signed on
loan by Malmo in August 2012, and so impressed the club that they offered you a
4-year contract on April 2013 to make you a permanent player. Will you reward
that belief but staying with Malmo for the duration of that contract?
Signing
for Malmo was the best thing to happen to me. I will reward the faith they have
in me by playing my best football, however I can’t say I will stay or not for
the duration of my contract because in football anything is possible.
Malmo is a great club
and were formerly coached by current England manager Roy Hodgson who won five
consecutive league titles. It is also the club where superstar striker Zlatan
Ibrahimovic started his professional career. So the club is obviously a great
spring board to the big time – do you feel it is the right club for you to
build your profile in Europe?
I
absolutely feel Malmo is the best team for me to start my European career
because this team attracts lot of scouts from different countries. They have
sold lot of players to bigger leagues and I believe if I keep on working hard
then the sky is the limit.
Where would you like
to play in future – France, England, Spain, Italy, Turkey?
I
don’t really have a preference, but if I move from Malmo it will be to a
country and a club where my talent is appreciated and where I will be exposed
to great things.
What are your top 5
dream clubs?
Bayern
Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid.
Malmo are currently
topping the Swedish league after 16 matches – you obviously target 1st which
brings a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds, while 2nd and 3rd
enter Europa League. Is that enough reason to stay in Sweden as playing in
these tournaments is challenging and good for your profile?
The
team is doing very well at the moment; it’s a very young dedicated squad and
everyone is willing to learn and help one another. That is why I want to stay
and continue enjoying my football in Malmo. I have already tasted Europa League
action and it would be nice to play in the Champions League, which raises your
profile and value as a player.
Did you enjoy playing
in the Europa League?
Yes
I enjoyed that very much. Playing in these kinds of tournaments is something I
dreamed about as a young boy and getting to experience them on the pitch is one
of the best feelings football has brought to my life.
Which star players
did you come up against?
I
haven’t faced a high prolific player as yet, but if we win our tie against
Hibernian in Scotland then we will face Swansea from England and that’s when
the stars will be seen (Malmo won the first leg of their Europa League 2nd
qualifying round 2-0 at home. Hibernian host the return leg on Thursday 25 July
2013).
How does the Swedish
league differ from South Africa’s PSL?
Everything
is different – the playing style, the tempo and the physical aspects of the
game are at a higher level than in South Africa. It’s a very good league here
in Sweden.
What do you enjoy
about life in Sweden?
I
enjoy everything about life in Sweden – from my social life to my professional
life. People treat you well and appreciate your talent. Whether you are a
foreigner or not, they treat you with the same respect.
You made your Bafana
Bafana debut on 9 June 2012 in a World Cup qualifier against Botswana and
played in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring against Mali – what are your
long term goals with the national team?
As
we all know it is every footballer’s dream to represent his country and my wish
is to contribute to it for a very long time to come. I want to be remembered as
a player who did his best for the national team.
Why is playing for
the national team important to you?
Because
that was my dream when I was playing on the dusty grounds of Tumahole. I also
believe it will help build my profile as a player and benefit me someday if I
get the chance to play in a top league like in England.
Playing at the
Maracana Stadium in Rio during the World Cup in Brazil – is this the ultimate
football dream for any player?
I
can’t speak for other players, but it is my ultimate football dream.
How have you benefitted
from your partnership with PUMA?
To
be honest I have just started with PUMA, but I am really enjoying playing in
the new evoSPEED boots they have give to me. I would love to achieve great
things with PUMA and help the brand to expand in football.
What do you like
about your new EvoSPEED boots?
Words
cannot express my feelings in full – what I can say about the new evoSPEED is
that its combination of comfort, grip, design and weight is the best and has
taken my game to another level.
