In the build-up to the Olympics, soccer writer Njabulo Ngidi profiles the players who will represent South Africa in Rio and Matshelane Mamabolo reminisces about a member of the Class of 2000 who played in the same position. Today they look at Menzi Masuku and Jabu Mahlangu, formerly Pule.
Menzi Masuku
THE Olympics could give direction to Menzi Masuku’s career. Orlando Pirates have loaned out the 23-year-old midfielder to Chippa United, even though he has denied signing anything to make the move official.
While that move remains cloudy, what’s certain is that he hasn’t made a major impact at the Buccaneers even though he has the talent and potential to be an important member of the side. Regular game time, which he would get at the Chilli Boys under Dan Malesela who appreciates skilful players, would give his career the kiss of life it needs.
Masuku started his time with the Buccaneers’ first team on a high, opening his scoring account with a brace against SuperSport United towards the end of the 2014/15 season. One of those goals earned him the Absa Premiership Goal of the Season award. The lad from KwaMashu in Durban ended 2015 as a CAF Confederation Cup finalist, while his two goals in the Eight Nations in Senegal helped the Under-23s qualify for the Olympics where they will be making their first appearance in 16 years.
But Masuku couldn’t build on that performance, with a disappointing 2015/16 season. That jeopardised his place in the Olympics squad. He wasn’t in the original team to play in the Cosafa Cup. He was called up at the 11th hour to replace captain Keagan Dolly who had CAF Champions League commitments with Mamelodi Sundowns. Masuku made the most of his chance, muscling his way into the set-up. He was named in the 18-man squad to do duty in Brazil.
“I don’t take what has happened to heart because my path to turn professional hasn’t been smooth,” Masuku said. “I left home at an early age to join Jazzy Queen’s (Harold Legodi) Stars of Africa Academy. I had to grow up quickly, without my family close by. I faced challenges but they supported me because they’re a footballing family. It has never been about proving myself to anyone because I know what I can offer. I am a positive person. Ups and downs are nothing new in my career. This is another rough patch, but how I recover from it will show the person I am.”
Masuku has recovered strongly from every disappointment he has faced. He didn’t let the late call-up dent his confidence but used it to remind the coaches what he can offer. He was the nation’s livewire in their march to win the Cosafa Cup in Namibia, going to Brazil confident. That will be important because they have to negotiate their way past Brazil, Denmark and Iraq in Group A.
“The good thing about this team is that everyone wants something bigger,” he said. “We want to use the Olympics as a springboard to bigger opportunities. People could be looking at me going somewhere and I end up going elsewhere because of what I do at the Olympics. That desire is what unites us.”
Masuku is part of the attack that has rescued this Under-23 team from awkward positions. “The Olympics could open doors for many of us,” he said. “We want to make the country proud and realise our dream of playing abroad.”
Jabu Pule (Mahlangu)
A virtual unknown a little more than a year before the Olympics, it says a lot about Jabu Pule’s (now Mahlangu) talent that he played for South Africa at the Games.
While he could have done better in the 55 minutes he was on the field against Brazil, Pule did not disgrace himself and it was not surprising that he went on to greater achievements thereafter. After all, he had developed into the status of a local cult hero pretty rapidly, the lad from Daveyton earning national Under-20, Under-23 and senior team caps in just one season.
For the Sasol Super Squad, Pule was used as a substitute having just gotten into a squad that had been painstakingly built over a long period. But he fitted right in and often got off the bench to make a telling contribution. One of those was in the home qualifying match against Cameroon, which Amaglug-glug won 2-0. Coming off the bench with the score at 1-0, he received a pass from Siyabonga Nomvethe before executing a sweet strike that went in off the upright.
The discerning fan will know that he was at the 2002 World Cup with Bafana Bafana, where he also got some game time, and a star for Chiefs for a while, his dazzling skills being the rave of the local game. A player of his talents would always make it overseas and he was a hit in Austria under Muhsin Ertugral before his battle with alcohol derailed him. Stints with Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United followed before he quit the game.
He has transformed into a role model and an advocate for responsible living as he shares his life story and imparts invaluable lessons to young footballers about the dangers of allowing fame to derail them from their goals. - Saturday Star