Bafana Bafana’s remarkable Afcon campaign in Cote d’Ivoire was obviously a team effort, with several players making a name for themselves through their individual brilliance. But one feels not much is being said or celebrated about Veli Mothwa’s contribution and passion that impacted our national team and steered them in the right direction.
The AmaZulu FC goalkeeper was second-in-command to the Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Ronwen Williams, at the biennial continental tournament. You don’t have to have been part of our national team’s behind-the-scenes happenings to see the influence, the impact and the drive that the 33-year-old has had in the team. You also don’t have to be a genius to see what a great teammate he is. What a true professional, what a team player, what a selfless leader and what a patriotic footballer Veli Mothwa is. For someone who didn’t have any minute of the tournament under his belt, watching from the bench as Ronza stole the limelight, making such a big statement in the biggest tournament in the continent, Mothwa remained positive, remained supportive and remained one of the most important players in the team. This goes to show that you don’t necessarily have to be on the field to have an impact in the team.
A lot of people can learn from the good example that Mothwa demonstrated throughout the tournament. Unfailingly, he was there to support Ronza and his teammates who enjoyed regular gametime. He was always there for his number one through it all. Whenever Ronwen made a save, Mothwa was one of the first people to react in admiration and jubilation. You’d be forgiven for thinking he was the one who had pulled that blinder of a save off. Whenever the team needed support, whenever they needed courage, whenever they celebrated, Veli was always in the mix, raising his hand and making his presence felt. Such a positive attitude rubbed off on a number of our players because, as the tournament progressed, you started seeing more of them getting involved and that can only bode well for our team, but not much is being said about this selfless gentleman.
