It is often said that you are only as old as you feel. Some coin it differently, that age is nothing but a number. Well, down in the tranquil mountain kingdom of Eswatini, former Jomo Cosmos and TS Galaxy attacking midfielder Felix Badenhorst is proving that you demote him to the scrapheap at your own peril. The lanky 33-year-old creative force of capital city giants Mbabane Swallows has defied all odds to lead the pack in the Golden Boot race, banging in 18 goals in 19 matches in the Eswatini Premier League. In this interview with Soccer Laduma's Thomas Kwenaite, the man from Hlatikulu reveals how close he came to signing for Kaizer Chiefs and goes on to talk about his frustrating stint at Jomo Cosmos and the equally frustrating period he spent in the Democratic Republic of Congo playing for AS Vita… and much more.
Thomas Kwenaite: Eswatini held Cape Verde to a goalless draw in the first of back-to-back Afcon qualifiers away from home last month, which was a commendable result.
Felix Badenhorst: It was a very huge result for us, more especially because we were playing away. The boys fought for every ball and you could also see we had planned that we shouldn't concede. A draw was a pretty good result for us as a country, and now we needed to make sure we got a win in the reverse fixture at home.
TK: But then you never did. Instead, you lost 1-0 at Mbombela Stadium four days later in a game where the island country dominated for large parts.
FB: That was the most painful loss I've ever experienced (playing) for the country. Granted, I was not playing, but as a Swati, I want the best for my country and I've always given my all for the flag. Even though I was not part of the team, I was with them heart and soul and willed them to win, but it was not to be, so we have to regroup and go back to the drawing board.
TK: How does it make you feel that together with Lesotho and Mauritius, you are the only COSAFA countries that have never qualified for the Afcon tournament?
FB: It's quite true that we are the only countries (from this region) that haven't qualified for Afcon, which is the continent's showpiece, and that is very sad and disappointing for us as a nation. It remains elusive but a big dream for us. At some point, we were very close to doing it, but after defeating Togo away and home, we lost it in the last game against Malawi. We have been trying for such a long time, but I still believe we will one day make it among the top 24.
TK: Eswatini have not just come close, but have also never won the COSAFA Cup tournament. What do you guys need to do to turn things around?
FB: It's the same with the COSAFA Cup as we have reached the semi-finals two or three times. We need to start by winning regional tournaments like the COSAFA Cup and build from there. There are a lot of young and very talented players that are coming up and some are already playing for the senior national team. I think the coach (Dominic Kunene) has to give them more time together in order to build this team without effecting too many changes. That way, we can produce a team that can take us to where we want to be.
TK: You were left out of national duty for the most recent camp, even though you are currently the leading goalscorer in the Eswatini Premier League.
FB: As a player, you always look forward to playing regularly and representing your country, but if you are not selected, you have to be professional by respecting the coach and his decisions. He could be planning on a particular strategy or a different approach and consequently selected players that he strongly believes will implement the envisaged plans better. You need to humble yourself and accept that no one is bigger than the game and that your time will also come. The only thing that you need to do is to keep working harder and also double your efforts. That is the only way to keep knocking on the coach's door and remind him that you are here and could also contribute.
TK: You have surpassed legendary Peter Ndlovu and Tico-Tico Bucuane as all-time leading goal-scorer in the COSAFA Cup. How does this make you feel?
FB: It's a great feeling and an honour for me to be mentioned alongside such legendary names. I grew up watching the COSAFA Cup tournament on television and always dreamt that one day I'd be mentioned or would become COSAFA Cup's all-time leading scorer. It's truly a great achievement for me and something I am deeply proud about.
TK: You are currently the leading goalscorer with 18 goals in the Premier League. What motivates you to keep going when you have been written off so many times?
FB: I think it's all about a deep resolve not to give up, Bra TK. You just have to knuckle down to hard work and keep believing in yourself as a player. If things don't work out for you, somehow you just have to keep going. It's been a good season for me and I think it's all because of the coaches that I've worked with and the support from my teammates.
TK: Is goalscoring an art form, a skill or something that comes naturally to you?
FB: Scoring has always been a big part of my game. Remember I am not a fully-fledged striker, but I play as an attacking midfielder, so for me, it's more about creating opportunities for others. But goalscoring comes naturally to me. I always try to position myself in scoring areas and with a lot of luck sometimes the ball falls for you in the right moments.
TK: Whatever happened about your rumoured and widely publicised move to Kaizer Chiefs?
FB: To be honest, I sincerely don't know what happened. They were talking to our late boss, Victor Gamedze – may his soul rest in peace. It was during the 2016 COSAFA Cup tournament in Namibia and I was scoring a lot of goals and ended up winning the tournament's Golden Boot. He (Gamedze) told me that Chiefs had contacted him enquiring about my services but that I should just focus on the tournament and leave the rest to him. After we got back home, he told me things didn't work out but that AS Vita from Congo were interested.
TK: So, that is how you suddenly signed for Vita in the DRC?
FB: The AS Vita move came just at the end of the 2016 COSAFA Cup. The tournament organizers had invited the DR Congo as a guest nation like they have been doing recently with countries outside the region, like Senegal and Tanzania. It so happened that the DR Congo coach, Florent Ibenge, was part-time in the job and was officially employed full-time as coach of Vita. He watched me closely at the tournament while in charge of the DR Congo and apparently approached (Mbabane) Swallows that he wanted me to come to the DRC to join his club. That is how the move happened.
TK: There are reports that you left unceremoniously. What happened?
FB: Honestly speaking, I just couldn't cope with the environment in the DR Congo. But out of respect for the club and the county, I wouldn't like to get into further details. Let us rather let sleeping dogs lie.
TK: Fair enough. How, then, did Jomo Sono scout you to play for Jomo Cosmos?
FB: My move to Jomo Cosmos came unexpectedly as I had just joined Manzini Wanderers as a young boy. It so happened that one day Bra J was in Eswatini to watch (Mfanafuthi) Taribo Bhembe of Mbabane Swallows, who was playing on Saturday. Luckily for me, on Sunday Manzini Wanderers were playing a huge game against Mbabane Highlanders and so Jomo decided to also stay behind for an additional day to watch the game. Personally, I didn't know that he would be there and we won the game 2-0 and I scored both goals. The next day, I was called by (agent) Celani Shongwe and he broke the news to me that Jomo was interested and I signed for Cosmos after a few days.
TK: Why did you drop Ezenkosi and went back to Manzini Wanderers?
FB: I didn't play much at Cosmos because I was still very young and competing with very experienced guys. After two-and-a-half years, I was getting increasingly frustrated and asked Bra J to loan me out back to Wanderers as I was young and felt I needed more game-time.
TK: You then joined Mbabane Swallows…
FB: Yes, Victor Gamedze brought me back home and we won every title on offer and for a couple of years Mbabane Swallows were unmatched. In fact, we created history by performing the "invincible", just like Arsenal, when during 2017 we won the league championship without losing a single match. We were also doing very well in Africa as we managed to qualify for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
TK: Then club owner Victor Gamedze was waylaid at a fuel station, gunned down and killed during 2018. How did his demise affect Swallows?
FB: Eish, that was a very sad and dark period for Swallows and Swazi football in general. He was a tireless worker and not only thought about himself, but how to improve and professionalise football in the country. We truly lost a giant in Gamedze.
TK: You briefly went to Mbombela United. How was your time there?
FB: I thoroughly enjoyed my stint at Mbombela United, where I played for two seasons. To crown it all, I was appointed captain. We were very well looked-after at Mbombela because that team was run very professional. Unfortunately, through technical errors, the team was relegated.
TK: You also had a short stint at TS Galaxy. What happened there?
FB: I moved to TS Galaxy after what happened to Mbombela (relegation), but sadly things didn't work out for me as I didn't get enough opportunities to play much. It's football and you have to accept if things are not working out for you, and I moved on. But I'll always be grateful for the chances I was given.
TK: But you are now back at Swallows. How has the second coming, as it were, been?
FB: Yes, I am back at Swallows now and everything has been great since I came back. Swallows is more like home for me and I have always felt appreciated here and that is why I always try my utmost best to always repay them on the pitch. We will push to win the league championship this season.
TK: Thank you, Fela, and good luck.
FB: You are most welcome!
FELIX BADENHORST FACT FILE
Full name: Felix Gerson Badenhorst
Date of birth: 12 June 1989
Place of birth: Hlatikulu, Eswatini
Position: Midfielder
Jersey number: 7
Club: Mbabane Swallows (Eswatini)
Previous clubs: Manzini Wanderers juniors, Manzini Wanderers, Intsha Sporting (on loan, all Eswatini), Jomo Cosmos, AS Vita Club (DR Congo), Mbabane Swallows, Mbombela United, TS Galaxy
Honours: 2017 2018 Swazi League Cup winner, 2017 2018 Premier League of Eswatini champion, 2017 2018 Swazi Charity Cup winner (all with Swallows), Eswatini national team representation
