Because of this strong foundation, we've managed to build a lot of steady relationships with the supporters from different football clubs, with the love and passion for the Beautiful Game being the glue that keeps us together. We've managed to turn strangers into friends, friends into family, foes into friends, rivals into teammates and all of this was done through the Beautiful Game. It was through this Beautiful Game that I was fortunate enough to meet people like Kumkani (Nkanyiso Mathamba), the dreadlocked one! Through different social media platforms and engagement on the Soccer Laduma website, where he was registered and affectionately known as Nkanyim, I got in regular contact with this likeable and knowledgeable fella, not knowing he grew up and was classmates with one of our own, Masebe Qina, in Mthatha at some stage.
It was until Ajax Cape Town hosted Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium that I was finally to meet this gentle giant. The morning of the game, I received a call from Nkanyi telling me he was coming down to the Mother City with his Click, Click, Bang! squad and needed transport from the airport to the match venue and if I could please help out? I obviously obliged and offered to chauffer them around because of the love and passion they had for their club, Chiefs, and South African football at large – not to mention Soccer Laduma, the publication they hero-worshipped. The guys flew in and out on the same day, after showing support to their favourite team, and such was their loyalty to the Naturena-based club.
Owing to the relationship we'd built, based on their loyal support for Soccer Laduma and our football in general, it was a no-brainer that I'd make time for these guys especially as I'd be meeting them for the very first time. I made it clear to them that the first stop would be at the Soccer Laduma offices so I could take them around our space and show them how this wonderful publication is put together. There was no way these guys would leave Cape Town without making a turn at our Green Point office, at the time, of their favourite football publication. They'd been behind this publication through thick and thin. Their excitement was palpable upon hearing the news and off we went. I was blown away by the curious questions and how much these guys, especially Kumkani, knew about Soccer Laduma. They shared stories of their all-time favourite interviews, columns, In Touch With, Still In Touch With and even features that have been done away with. The personal questions about almost everyone, myself included, further proved that these guys knew their story and that their love for Soccer Laduma was genuine.
Unfortunately, I was the only staff member in the office as it was on a Saturday, so they couldn't meet the full complement of their 'servants'. But it still felt good to have them in the building and it became clear that the feeling was mutual because the guys enjoyed every second spent in that space. There were pages of the following week's edition hanging on the walls and I took them through our production process. They were the only 'outsiders' who were privy to the content of the following week's edition by Saturday morning already and you can imagine what that meant to them. The guys were so appreciative as they couldn't hide their excitement of being 'home' because that's just how it all felt. Nkanyi was a historian in his own right and you'd be forgiven for mistaking him for an experienced journalist, young as he was, because of the wealth of local football knowledge that he had amassed over the years through his research and archiving. The man knew his story! He contributed immensely to the growth of our website and was among the top bloggers whose offerings generated a lot of interest and skyrocketed the level of engagement. Whether you agreed with him or not, Nkanyim had a way of getting a reaction.
Nkanyim loved Soccer Laduma. Nkanyim believed in Soccer Laduma. If Soccer Laduma was to report that his favourite team was on sale, even if the club was to issue a statement to the contrary, Nkanyim would stand by Soccer Laduma's story. That's how much he loved and believed in our publication, which is why his family's loss is our loss. This is one man who had a strong backbone and stood for what he believed in. He was not easily swayed, he simply loved what he loved and loathed what he loathed! There was no grey area. Mention Orlando Pirates' misfortunes and you will have all Kumkani's attention. He would milk every ounce of negativity that came from the Houghton-based club for what it was worth. His latest victim from the Buccaneers was Ghanaian striker Kwame Peprah who, until recently, was shooting blanks in front of goal, much to Nkanyi's excitement. He even used the 21-year-old's picture on his Facebook profile, which is unheard of from a rival supporter, but the man knew exactly what he was doing. He thoroughly enjoyed the barren run that Peprah was going through. Funny enough, true to his form or banter, Nkanyi never said anything about Peprah breaking his duck and scoring two back-to-back braces in a short space of time against Marumo Gallants FC and AmaZulu FC, because scoring four goals was never part of the agenda. That's not the kind of content that Nkanyi had signed up for, he wanted to see Peprah continue to misfire and subsequently have Pirates suffering. He loved everything wrong about Pirates and therefore surely felt disappointed by Peprah, who didn't live up to his expectations.
When the news of his passing came through, it was gut-wrenching because no one saw it coming. South African football has lost a gentle giant and we are poorer without Nkanyi. The man loved the game so dearly and dedicated his life to local football so much that you'd forget that he had a professional career. The man had brains! Hamba kakuhle (Farewell), Kumkani! May your beautiful soul rest in peace, brother. Thank you for loving and supporting Soccer Laduma wholeheartedly but, more importantly, thank you for loving South African football and for the important role you've played in the various groups that you were involved in. For a young fella, you were in a league of your own in terms of your knowledge of our football history. You spent a lot of time researching and you were not just throwing stats or information around, you did your homework. You stood your ground on current affairs, politics, football and everything one can think of. On behalf of the Soccer Laduma family, we'd like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Mathamba family and friends. We share this pain with you, but we want to thank you for raising such a wonderful young man. Goodbye, Nkanyi.
VeeJay
