It
was touch and go as to whether Shozi would even travel to Durban with the team
as he has been out of action for three months due to injury. But he was tested just prior to departure and
declared fit and has made a mark for himself.
Shozi
hails from Pinetown and was brought to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2010 by his mentor,
Mabhuti Khanyeza , a renowned player who was with Sundowns and now with
Mpumalanga Black Aces. “I played for
Rockers FC, owned by Mabhuti, since I was 6 years old,” he said. “He took me in
and groomed me into what I am today. Not
many kids from Klarotha get the chance to be mentored by a professional and
then be part of an academy like Sundowns.
My biggest problem is that I am not the best academic and Sundowns
demand good results as well as good football.”
The
youngster, now in Grade 11 at Clapham, is pleased with his performance in the
tournament to date. “Scoring the goals
is a morale booster for me, as well as the team, and it has inspired me to do
even better,” however he admits to feeling a bit weary after playing three hard
games yesterday and will play two again today.
“Before
I left home I set a goal, and that was to win the highest goalscorer and player
of the tournament awards. I am on the
way, but we still have two days of football ahead of us and there are some
excellent players here so it will not be easy,” said Shozi.
Clapham
won their first game against FK Tjiane (Limpopo) 9 – 1, then beat Rietvale
(Northern Cape) 6 – 0 ending the day with a 1 – 0 lead against Freedom Park
(North West). The second day saw them beat Harmony (Free State) 1 – 0 to top
the log. Their final league game will
pit them against Sebetwane (North West).
“Each
and every game was a tough one and we have had to work hard for our wins,” said
Shozi. “What really has helped is being
part of the Sundowns Academy. We get to
play against the first team every month and we learn a lot about confidence,
self discipline, respect, technical play and striving to do your best in every
game. We have put all these lessons into
practise this week. ”
As
a striker Shozi is always looking for ways to improve his game and different
scoring tactics. “Having someone of
Mabhuti’s calibre as a mentor has helped give me the confidence to test out new
tactics in games. I am picking his
brains now on how to get to, and stay, at the top of your game. While I am doing well, I have been through
three very difficult months being injured and not playing. That is one of the most difficult positions
to be in and you lose confidence and morale.
This tournament has helped me get back up there.”
His
ultimate goal is to play for Mamelodi Sundowns first team. If he maintains his performance throughout
this tournament he believes the coach will get wind of his talents and perhaps
his goal will be achieved sooner than expected.
The
Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup is currently underway at the King Zwelithini
Stadium, Umlazi, Durban. The 18
participating schools will complete the League today. Thursday will see the play-offs and the
third/fourth play-off will take place at 10am on Friday, followed by live
performances by
Naima-K,
Professor and Big Nuz. The final will
kick-off at 12pm.
