Football's own version of Mike Tyson in terms of physical build, competitively aggressive and with passion to burn, Jacob Machaka's career as a footballer started at Ria Stars in the 1996/97 season. Dream come true, even if he would have rather been thousands of kilometres away at Naturena, turning out for Kaizer Chiefs, a fantasy that never materialised right to the very end of his journey in 2010. The former defender did, however, make a mark at sides such as Real Rovers, City Pillars and Mpumalanga Black Aces, having also been on the respective rosters of Maritzburg United and Bay United. "I retired because my body had not been responding like it was doing before, plus I also had my eye on coaching, so during my last season at Bay United, I asked our coach, the late David Bright, to mentor me," says the man nicknamed "Dukes".
It's been such a long time since we last had a chat. How are you doing? What are you up to nowadays?
I have my own academy, where I'm coaching the U13s to U17s. The U17s are playing in the Local Football Association under SAFA. They are my first team now. I'm keeping strong even though this year was a bad year for me. I've lost my daughter on 28 January and she was doing Grade 12. Eish, it was very bad maan as we never had closure because she was coming from school. She said she was feeling dizzy and couldn't see, and she passed out same time. We don't know what happened.
We're really sorry to hear that. No parent should have to bury their child. As Soccer Laduma, we extend our sincere condolences to you and your family, big man.
No, thanks. I'm trying to be strong and to move on with life, even though it's very hard. That's life for you, sometimes you hear bad news and other times it's good news, and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Polokwane City all the best after their promotion back to the PSL (topflight). They've done very well under Duncan Lechesa. In our province, we're struggling, maan. Some teams are going down and others are coming back. I don't know what is happening. They must have a good structure. They must trust their coaches and give them a chance, especially the local coaches. If you can check, in Limpopo we have a lot of teams in the Motsepe Foundation (Championship) and most of them got relegated from the PSL. They just have to sit down and sort these things out. At least in our days, our teams were staying in the PSL for five to six years, but nowadays they get promoted and then a season later they go back.
There's the long-held belief that Limpopo sides are 'run like a spaza shop'. We see David Thidiela has now handed the reins to his son, Tshifhiwa Thidiela.
That is why I'm telling you that we don't wish them to do bad, but they need to employ people who know football, people who have been there. Don't just say I'm having a team in the PSL just to show off. You have to work hard. The team must compete and win the cups. At least Sekhukhune (United) tried their level best and went to the final, unlucky. Marumo Gallants went to the final of the Nedbank Cup and won it, then they went to another final and lost it. But eish, it's very bad because when I look at it, we are struggling to maintain our status in the PSL. The club chairmen need to go back to the drawing board.
Going back in time, your career began at Ria Stars…
Ha, ha, ha, it's funny you say that because the one team I dreamed about playing for growing up was Kaizer Chiefs, and it nearly happened early on in my career. Screamer Tshabalala wanted me. Unfortunately, I was not in coach Muhsin Ertugral's plans, so I had to come back to Ria Stars. Screamer just told me, "Just go back and play football and prove them wrong that you are a good left back and left winger." But I never took it in a bad way, you understand? It's part of football. I wanted to play for that team with my whole heart and I was so happy when Screamer came here and fetched me. You know what he did? He drove from Jo'burg straight. Ria Stars had been promoted and we were in pre-season. Jacob Sakala was my coach there and he called me and said, "Dukes, where are you?" I said, "I'm at my place." He said, "No, no, no, what are you doing?" I told him, "I'm about to take a shower now." He was like, "No, don't take a shower. Pack your things. Come to Holiday Inn, Screamer Tshabalala is waiting for you." I never took that shower, ha, ha, ha. It was at night, around 20h00, and we had been coming from training. Remember, I was still negotiating to get a contract at Ria Stars and, to be honest with you, nna I was looking for greener pastures. So, I went to Holiday Inn and then we drove to Jo'burg. Here they started searching for me, nna I was there because I was looking for greener pastures. You know sometimes in life you must force things, so I ran away with Screamer because this side "Chicco" (Twala, club boss at the time) was still delaying my contract. We went there, I trained there, but things didn't go well. They said, "Come back", I came back. They said, "Where were you?" They searched for me there in Southgate. I came back and that's when they signed me. But the person that made me to skip to Kaizer Chiefs is my coach, Sakala. He called me and said, "Bona (Look), opportunity comes once. Come to Holiday Inn, Screamer Tshabalala is waiting for you." Ha, ha, ha, when they asked him, "Where is Dukes?", he said, "Me, me, I don't know! Dukes is not my son, he's an old man."
Ha, ha, ha.
Maar (But) he knew very well he made me skip the town with Screamer. But that is why I like Sakala, he is honest. He told me, "These ones I told them to give you a contract. They are going up and down. Chicco doesn't want to give you a contract. Screamer Tshabalala is here, he wants to take you to Kaizer Chiefs. Dukes, it's up to you. What are you doing? The man comes from Jo'burg straight to come and fetch you because Robson Muchichwa is injured. Are you not going or what?" I said I'm going. And I left. But after one week, they heard that I was in Naturena. Sakala liked his players.
Surely after that, the club was pressured to tie you down to a new deal, right?
Ja, they gave me the contract. Now Chicco started to understand gore why Screamer wanted this guy. Akere Chicco didn't know players, you understand? Music and football are not the same, and yena he was good in music. We were not good, according to him, because he wanted to bring his players from (Moroka) Swallows, and I didn't have a problem (with that), but I proved him wrong. I remember they put me in when we were playing Orlando Pirates at Vosloorus Stadium. I went there, I got the ball, I hit the pole, I nearly scored. On another occasion, my shot hit (Williams) Okpara and I nearly scored. Thabo Mngomeni then got the ball, did a scissor-kick and scored… 1-0. You know what? Chicco was behind the bench, telling the coaches to take me out … because he is a supporter of Orlando Pirates. And that's the year Pirates won the league. He wanted me out because I was the one who was troubling Pirates, but Kenny Ndlazi and Sakala refused. Even in the second half, he was behind the bench, saying, "Hey! Take Dukes out! He's doing nothing!" I didn't care about his utterances. Unfortunately for him, I got the ball outside the box, took a shot and we equalised. We went to the dressing room and even there, he wasn't happy. He told the coaches, "Why didn't you take Dukes out? He wasn't performing."
The man must have been really disappointed.
I had to tell him, "Hayi (No), stay with your money, I'll stay with my pride." From there, he called me and said, "Dukes, where are you? You must come to Pretoria, I want to see you." We started to be friends after that. In football, even if someone doesn't like you, it doesn't mean he doesn't like you. You treat him nicely and you keep on proving him wrong and that you are a good player, and that's why nna le (me and) Chicco ended up being friends. I never took it negatively. He would ask me, "Dukes, are you okay?" I would say, "Yes, I'm fine."
STILL IN TOUCH FUN FACTS
First paycheque: R2 500
Biggest bonus: R5 000
Opponent I respected the most: Johannes Mine
Team I'd have loved to play for: Kaizer Chiefs
Favourite PSL player right now: Themba Zwane
Best coach I played under: Jacob Sakala
Craziest request from a fan: None, just requests for sports merchandise
