South African fans are very creative when it comes to nicknames. Names such as "Sister Monica", "Stability Unit", "All You Need is Love" and "Salt 'n Vinegar" spring to mind. However, some of the nicknames have been directly derived from other players, and in most cases, from international stars. Can you name any?
Here are some of those monikers:
Bongani "Drogba" Ndulula
The Kaizer Chiefs striker is named after Didier Drogba, who is known for his prolific goalscoring abilities, and used to bang in the goals like they were going out of fashion during his Chelsea days. However, unlike his namesake, Ndulula fires blanks nowadays, but he was lethal in front of goal during his time with the junior national teams. This is perhaps the reason he is named after a player of Drogba's calibre.
Andile "Gattuso" Jali
Former Orlando Pirates midfield kingpin Jali earned the sobriquet "Gattuso" due his combative nature, similar to that of Italian great Gennaro Gattuso.
Lebogang "Kaka" Manyama
The Mpumalanga Black Aces midfielder goes by the name of "Kaka", a former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Brazil star. Manyama's ability to pull the strings in the centre of the park earned him this great moniker.
Sifiso "N'tsunda" Myeni
In the early 1990s, Orlando Pirates had a player by the name of Etienne N'tsunda, a Congolese international who stole the hearts of the Bucs faithful with his somersault goal celebrations. Nearly two decades later, there seems to be something of a N'tsunda reincarnation at Mayfair as Myeni also goes by the same name.
Masibusane "Zizou" Zongo
You know you're special when people see similarities between you and Zinedine Zidane. Platinum Stars midfielder Zongo falls into this category. A crowd favourite in the local game, he is blessed with an abundance of flair, hence the reason he was bestowed with the "Zizou" nickname.
Do you know of other players with nicknames derived from other players' names?
