We Did Go On Strike!
Soccer Laduma|September 25, 2019
Denis Onyango was spited in Mwanza, the second largest city in Tanzania, turning out for St George where his agility propelled the Ethiopian side to the CECAFA regional club championship and recruited for SuperSport United. He did rot immediately break into the starting XI but had to patiently bide his time, observing and learning from first Wendell Robinson and then Andre Arendse. When Pitso Mosimane, the a man who brought him to Matsatsantsa in the first place, took charge of Mamelodi Sundowns, he brought A; Onyango back from Bidvest Syr Wits where he had been on loan. In this interview with 0 Soccer Laduma's Thomas Kwenaite, the 34-year-old goalkeeper reveals what drives him and keeps him on his toes and how he became undisputed Footballer of the Year based in Africa. The gigantic net minder also shares the secrets behind his success and the man that pushes him to excel in his chosen profession.
We Did Go On Strike!

Thomas Kwenaite: In football you win some and lose others, but losing to SuperSport United in the MTN8 semifinal must have been painful.

Denis Onyango: We knew that the away goal we got against them in the first leg would give us an added advantage, but they are a team that is on a high and has been scoring goals in almost every match and so their opening goal really disorganized us and we started chasing the game. And, much as we tried, we just could not break them down and when they scored a second one, it became so much harder for us.

TK: Looking back, what is it that Sundowns did not do well against SuperSport, which you need to correct going forward?

DO: I think we didn’t play very well as a team and they took their chances. Our plan was to initially frustrate them by keeping the ball for as long as we could and while we managed to do that, we could not convert the chances we created whilst they got an early goal, which really disorganized us.

TK: Getting back to the domestic league after the disappointment of the MTN Cup, it was an important win against Maritzburg United.

DO: Yes, the game against Maritz burg was also a very difficult game considering that we had just lost to SuperSport in the cup and so we had no choice but to win. But, of course, the winning goal came at the referee’s added time, but we kept on fighting and believing that the goal was coming and hence we were rewarded in the end. It was a good win for us as it helped us move up the log table and approach the Champions League game in highs spirits.

TK: You’ve reached the last round of the CAF Champions League (before the group stages), after simply cruising past AS Otoho d’Oyo.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 25, 2019-Ausgabe von Soccer Laduma.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 25, 2019-Ausgabe von Soccer Laduma.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS SOCCER LADUMAAlle anzeigen
We have a problem
Soccer Laduma

We have a problem

For this reason, Clinton Larsen was shown the door as head coach, but still, under new mentor Norman Mapeza, the struggle persists, although they did win two games on the trot recently.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
4 December 2019
They have the character
Soccer Laduma

They have the character

Cut Lehlohonolo Seema’s skin andhe’ll probably bleed green andwhite – such has been the man’s loyalty to Bloemfontein Celtic. Born and bred in neighbouring Lesotho, the Mangaung outfit is a club that’s always had a pull factor on him. So much that it is they who pulled him from obscure Bantu United from the mountainous kingdom in 1998, and he would go on to represent the club until 2006 when the allure of Orlando Pirates, understandably, proved too great a pull factor. Yet even a five-year spell with the Soweto giants, which included a season-long loan stint at Mpumalanga Black Aces, would not prevent him being pulled back in the direction of Siwelele, albeit to begin a coaching journey in the junior ranks. The next step was to become an assistant, a job he performed with aplomb, before being called on to take the hotseat together with John Maduka after the departure of Steve Komphela at the tail end of 2018. Much against general expectation, the duo has done fairly well, if Celtic’s off-field troubles of the recent past are to be taken into consideration. Soccer Laduma’s Beaver Nazo sat down with Seema to discuss this, that, and the other.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
4 December 2019
They are on another level
Soccer Laduma

They are on another level

Before signing for Mamelodi Sundowns last season,Lyle Lakay knew that he would be used as a leftback and not in his preferred left wing position, something that he surprisingly did not have a problem with. In his first season with the club last term, he played a key role as they went onto win an unprecedented ninth Absa Premiership league title. This season has been a bit of a slow one for Lakay, who has been used mostly as a substitute, but there’s still a lot of football to be played both locally and on the continent, so he has time to fight for his place in the starting line-up. In this interview, the former Cape Town City and Bloemfontein Celtic player chats to Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane about his time at the Tshwane giants so far, their chances of winning the CAF Champions League and why he believes they can close the gap on current Kaizer Chiefs, who have been in fine form since the start of the campaign.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
4 December 2019
Siyag bhoza
Soccer Laduma

Siyag bhoza

Middendorp holding a divided Chiefs camp together

time-read
5 Minuten  |
4 December 2019
Lionel Messi 2019 Ballon d'Or winner
Soccer Laduma

Lionel Messi 2019 Ballon d'Or winner

Messi claims record Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo snubs gala

time-read
3 Minuten  |
4 December 2019
Jose Is Back, Will He Last?
Soccer Laduma

Jose Is Back, Will He Last?

Jose Mourinho has re-turned with a bang! Not many would have thought Tottenham Hotspur would sack Mauricio Pochettino after the Argentine led them to the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League final, and even fewer would have thought chairman Daniel Levy would replace him with Jose Mourinho.

time-read
6 Minuten  |
27 November 2019
It Was Challenging
Soccer Laduma

It Was Challenging

Imagine the scene…you are playing a game of your life, fighting to qualify for the Olympic Games through the lifeline of the third and fourth place play-off.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
27 November 2019
No Disrespect To Chiefs, But…
Soccer Laduma

No Disrespect To Chiefs, But…

On how he masterminded victory over Chiefs

time-read
4 Minuten  |
27 November 2019
He Is Not Personal
Soccer Laduma

He Is Not Personal

He may not be gettingregular game-timedomestically with Bidvest Wits, but attacking midfielder Gift Motupa is making a name for himself in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup. The 25-year-old player has bagged six goals in the campaign so far, inspiring the Clever Boys to the group stages of a CAF club competition for the first time in their history. It has not been the same in the domestic league though, with just one start so far and one goal. Having done so well in the Confederation Cup, he will no doubt be hoping that coach Gavin Hunt will give him more opportunities to play in the Absa Premiership as the Braamfontein-based outfit looks to challenge for the title. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane, Motupa expresses his excitement about qualifying for

time-read
9 Minuten  |
27 November 2019
That's Me Wherever I Go
Soccer Laduma

That's Me Wherever I Go

As a coach, former Kaizer Chiefs striker Wedson Nyirenda prides himself on being blessed with the mentality of a winner. So much that when talking about his past achievements in the realm of coaching, you can almost never miss the sparkle in his eye, and often this trip down memory lane will be accompanied by a smile that tells a story of contentment and achievement. He has built up a reputation, across all three countries he has worked in, of turning socalled ordinary teams into respected outfits. He did it with Baroka FC, helping them to annex the 2018 Telkom Knockout trophy much against many people’s expectations. However, the going has since gotten tougher, and the Limpopo side is (still) struggling to score goals this season. What is going on? Is Nyirenda going to jump ship and go back to his previous role as Zambia national team coach, as the rumour mill seems to suggest? Nyirenda provides the answers in this chat with Soccer Laduma’s Beaver Nazo.

time-read
7 Minuten  |
20 November 2019