Thamsanqa Gabuza is living proof that change is good. Sometimes it is just a change of scenery that you need in order to soar.
Affectionately known as Ganda-Ganda, the gangly striker has clearly found a new lease on life at Matsatsantsa a Pitori after a torrid six-season stay at Orlando Pirates where he was notorious for missing chances more than finishing them. He caused a lot of frustration for the Bucs faithful who had clearly lost hope of him turning things around. Such frustration reached a crescendo when the Newcastle-born, likeable striker decided to 'protest' against a section of his own supporters when he stormed off the pitch after creating an assist for an opening goal against Black Leopards at the New Peter Mokaba stadium. The incident of August 28 is well-documented.
Whether you want to believe it or not, that unfortunate incident played a role in the unexpected move that saw the 31-year-old relocate to Tshwane where he has hit the ground running. In just six league plus three MTN8 games played so far, Gabuza has found the back of the net four time with two assists. Yes, that's true. Four goals and two assists for Gabuza in less than 10 games! Not many would have predicted such impressive goal-scoring stats could be mentioned in the same sentence as Gabuza who missed chances as if they were going out of fashion at Pirates. To put it in context, the lanky striker managed to find the back of the net 11 times in 95 matches over a period of six seasons! He's now scored almost half of those goals in nine games and, if his start is anything to go by, it looks like there's more where those four goals came from.
The SuperSport United striker is by far one of the top contenders for the MTN8 Last Man Standing award and it will take something of a miracle for him not to win the gong at the end of the season. He's just been exceptional in this competition and will be looking to add the gold medal to his collection on Saturday, 5 October when they face Highlands Park at his past home ground, Orlando Stadium. Wouldn't it be fitting for him to lift his first trophy after leaving Pirates in the same stadium he called home for six seasons?
Gabuza is enjoying his football and has suddenly become an integral part in coach Kaitano Tembo's team. While many players would still be finding their feet at their new club, Ganda-Ganda literally hit the ground running. Imagine being a Pirates supporter watching your former striker making such an impact at his new club, scoring and creating goals, after you constantly booed him and now your team, until last weekend, continues to struggle to find the back of the net? It must be quite a conundrum because you were happy to see him leave but, suddenly, you find yourself wishing he was kept and doing it for you. Such is the beauty of this game as one can't predict what is going to happen next. Some players would have not been too keen to leave a big team like Pirates and join SuperSport when other big teams are said to have been after their signings. The perception is that one has to move from one big team to the next, therefore without 'downgrading', but Gabuza was an exception. He is on record stating that there were big teams interested in his services and surely everyone can put two and two together to find out who those big teams are. Gabuza's choice has proved to be the best and, instead of jumping out of a frying pan into the fire, he decided to join a relatively less-pressured team. Taking nothing away from SuperSport, the pressure at Pirates and at the Tshwane-based club isn't the same at all. At United, Gabuza would be given time to settle down and the supporters would be more understanding. The same can't be said about his former club.
Jeremy Brockie will be looking at Gabuza's situation and hoping the same fate awaits him at Maritzburg United, where he will be spending the remainder of the season following a frustrating time at Mamelodi Sundowns where things just didn't work out for him. He knows all too well how much Gabuza is valued at SuperSport, having been there himself, and will be crossing his fingers to relive that feeling, or anything remotely close to it. Big teams have no time for sentiments – you either adapt, deliver or face the exit door. That's exactly why change is good sometimes because the poor scoring rate could be more about the team's style of play rather than your ability. SuperSport are playing to Gabuza's strength and theirs seems to be a match made in heaven. So long may Ganda-Ganda's newfound form continue so that he enjoys his football, once again, and remains the positive energy he has always been in the change room.
On a different note, I'm sure most of you are aware of the Soccer Laduma Social Media App where you can get discounts and airtime in these trying economic conditions. We've run a couple of advertisements in the paper in recent weeks and I hope you will download the app and make the most of the benefits that come with it, while staying in touch with your loved ones.
Cheers,
VeeJay
