In March 1999, I wrote my first ever story as a journalist. It was an interview with former Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Mark Anderson for a publication you know rather well: Soccer Laduma. Immediately after submitting the story, I received my first ever feedback from the publication's editorial director, Peter du Toit.
"The story is good, but next time please try to write with a bit more vooma," was Peter's feedback.
Ever since then, that advice has stuck in my head, and 17 years later I still approach stories with the very same attitude in mind. Just in case you are wondering why I'm reminiscing about this story, it's simply because, since then, my journalism career has come full circle, and today I'm back where it all started – right here at Soccer Laduma. I must say it feels good to once again be part of this great family and to be entrusted with the massive responsibility of delivering the highest quality football news to the ever-loyal readers every week. It is a challenge, and I am looking forward to giving it my all!
Over the last 19 years, Peter du Toit has built a truly great team and, walking inside these offices, it's easy to feel the love and passion each and every member of the team has for the game of football.
Like any other great team, our Soccer Laduma team, led by editor Vuyani Joni, is made up of young and experienced members who are all dedicated to working tireless hours to ensure that you, our readers, receive the best football news every hour, day and week. I'm truly honoured, humbled and grateful to be part of this outstanding team. I commit to do my utmost to ensure that my boss – the Soccer Laduma readers who spend their hard-earned cash every week on the publication – get the best product on the newsstands and online.
Talking about players joining new teams, in the last few months we have seen a number of South African players leaving, or wanting to leave, Europe to come back and play in the PSL. Anele Ngcongca has joined Mamelodi Sundowns from KRC Genk in Belgium, via a loan move to France with Troyes. Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite caught many by surprise when he was unveiled as a SuperSport United player barely a week after scoring for his Swedish team, BK Hacken. May Mahlangu and Kagisho Dikgacoi are both linked with moves back to the PSL, while Andile Jali is also reportedly looking for a return to South Africa's top flight. Thulani Serero is still in limbo and faces an uncertain future at his Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam, and talks of him eventually returning to the PSL may not be that far-fetched after all. Even Steven Pienaar almost moved back home after a long and illustrious career abroad, only to be snatched up by Sunderland right from under the noses of Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
While this homecoming of many PSL stars will not go without its critics, who will undoubtedly see our players as not strong enough to stand the test of time in Europe, on the flip side of the coin, this might work to the advantage of the PSL.
During a time when attendance figures at PSL matches are dwindling, getting our top players back from Europe will certainly make our league stronger and more competitive. This, in turn, might help increase the appetite for the local game and thus increase the number of supporters going to matches. In top football nations such as Brazil and Argentina, where there is an influx of players plying their trades abroad, local teams do their best to sign back their stars whenever they are available. And that is why those domestic leagues in Argentina and Brazil never fail to attract interest from the local supporters.
Our stars returning home will also help local clubs in the CAF intercontinental competitions. For example, when Egyptian giants Al Ahly dominated the CAF Champions League, their squad mainly consisted of national team players. This dominance was conveyed to their national team, and Egypt went on to win three Africa Cup of Nations in a row, between 2006 and 2010. This was all achieved by a squad made up of domestic-based players.
I'm not saying that our stars returning home will help Bafana Bafana become a better team; rather, the point I'm trying to make is that their return will not in any way hurt our national team. In fact, it's better for our players to play in the PSL than to be wearing tracksuits on the sidelines in Europe. And their presence will undoubtedly help our league become better.
Always remember that with every cloud, there is always a silver lining. I am certainly feeling upbeat about my new challenges at Soccer Laduma, and I look forward to continue bringing you the kind of excellence you've come to expect from this publication.
Cheers
Zola
