Footballers go through a lot, and we hardly ever spend time to ask them about their mental health.
I recently did an interview with former Orlando Pirates and Cape Town City player Mpho Makola, and I got to realise that the man has barely been hanging on to life. If it were someone else going through so much, they might not have been able to handle it.
Initially, Makola politely asked not to do an interview with me because he was "not in a good space". I respected his request and waited a few weeks before contacting him again. On the day I picked up my phone to check if he would be available for a chat, he agreed.
I was going through a lot myself and little did I know that a man I hardly knew would change my way of thinking and make me realise how mental health in players, and men generally, is so important.
Mentally, I was not okay and speaking to him made me realise a few things. One, we are all going through a lot in life, and we need to be kind to one another. Two, even footballers struggle, and it doesn't help that a lot of them are hammered on social media for their performances on the pitch. An active approach needs to be taken to ensure they are okay. Not everybody is strong and we have to respect the fact that there are a few others who need a bit more help when it comes to dealing with mental health.
I get to sit at home and not have to deal with the whole world, but footballers have the challenge of trying to keep it together and perform at a high-level week in and out. They somehow have to take all the criticism they get, which sometimes gets so personal on social media platforms. Criticism, when done right, is obviously not a bad thing. But when it's taken a bit too far, we really don't know how much we are destroying the people who entertain us on the pitch every week.
So, when I spoke to Makola, I just got to admire how strong he is and how much of a role he can play in building the mindsets of the next generation of players who are going to play football at a professional level.
In a way, Makola made me realise that it's okay to cry. It's okay to tell someone of the pain you are going through. There is no shame in talking about challenges and I hope players don't wait on their clubs to take care of their mental health. They should make an effort themselves to ensure they speak to professionals. This will go a long way in ensuring that our footballers do not die alone inside, but are rather in a good space to perform at a high level on a regular basis.
When you have time, read what Makola had to say about the difficult period of his life and how he has managed to overcome.
