That was a special feeling

From the dusty fields of Ngqunge in Mthatha to lining up against Orlando Pirates on one of South Africa’s biggest knockout stages, Slindokuhle “Terminator” Mponzo’s journey has been anything but straightforward.

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Masebe Qina: Terminator, take us back to that moment - lining up against Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup for Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila. As a boy from rural Ngqunge in Mthatha, how special was that experience for you?

Slindokuhle Mponzo: Thanks, bhuti (big brother). Yho! That moment meant the world to me; I don’t want to lie. It brought back so many memories, both good and bad and the challenges along the way. But ultimately everything I’ve been through in the past four or five years just disappeared and I relished the moment. Experiencing that game made me realise that in life everything is possible, and that your situation can change instantly. Playing in that match showed me a lot of things. I don’t want to lie, it’s difficult to fully explain, but it gave me hope again.

MQ: You mentioned the challenges of the past four or five years. What has your journey been like during that period?

SM: As you may remember, I was at some stage on the books of Moroka Swallows, but things didn’t go the way I expected or the way I wanted them to. Also, in life in general, there are things I can't fully explain because they might sound like myths or imaginations to some people. For the past four years, I've been trying to rebuild myself and get back into the game properly - just to be myself again. Like I said, some things are difficult to explain because not everyone would understand what I went through.

MQ: After turning professional with Swallows when the club was still in the second tier, how did things unfold for you?