Dino Making The Most
Of His Loan Spell At SuperSport United
Dino Ndlovu is one of the players enjoying his game at SuperSport United since
Gordon Igesund took over as the coach. After only making two substitute
appearances in the league under Cavin Johnson, he has been a regular and is
promising to hit the back of the net soon. He talks about the former Bafana
Bafana coach’s impact so far and whether he is set for a return to Maccabi
Haifa come the end of season.
Personal Information
Full names: Dino Ndlovu
Date of birth: 15 February 1990
Place of birth: Klerksdorp, North west
Jersey no: 9
Position: Striker
Club: SuperSport United
Previous Clubs: Dona Young Stars, Motherwell FC, OI Celtic, Digagabi FC (all amateur), Platinum Stars academy, Bloemfontein Celtic, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bnei Yehuda and Maccabi Haifa (both Israel).
Honours: 2012/13 Liga runner-up with Bnei Yehuda, 14 national U20 caps, 15 U23 national caps and 3 Bafana Bafana caps.
Hola Dino, SuperSport
look like a rejuvenated side under Gordon Igesund.
There is nothing different that he’s done other than
instilling confidence in the players.
There is nothing more that he has did; he has just made us believe in
our abilities more. Before he came, the confidence was down and that was
largely due to the fact that results were not coming. We were not working as a
team like we are doing now. That resulted in us losing a lot of games. He came
here and had to start from scratch, but he has done a fantastic job so far.
How have you found
working with Igesund?
Gordon is not only the best coach in my opinion, he is also
a motivator. He’s like a father to the players. He doesn’t only come to the
change room and say, ‘Gents, this is how we are going to play’. He brings a
good spirit, the wisdom and the value that we need as a team going forward. He
brings that as a coach. Those are the factors that make him stand out as one of
the best coaches in South Africa.
You guys had a bad
start to the season under Cavin Johnson and the question has to be asked, why
is the team performing so well all of a sudden, because it’s not like new
players have been brought in?
No, like I said before, I would say we were not a team.
There was a lot of individuality in the team. There were two groups in the end,
you could see that when we went out onto the pitch, we couldn’t connect or
click as a team. That caused us to lose games. I think when Gordon came in; he
really helped us and pushed us to become a team. That’s helping us to win
games.
What’s your feeling regarding your own
performance since coming back to South Africa?
My performance under Gordon has been looking good. I went
through a dry spell, but it happens in soccer. For me, I have not really performed
the way I would have liked and I have had to take some criticism. But I respond
positively to criticism and always ask myself, ‘How do I get out of these
things that people are talking about’? At the end of the day, I don’t focus on
how the team does and how to improve as a player. I would say I’m finding my
scoring boots, but, for now I’m helping the team to win with my assists and by
playing well. With luck on my side, in the next couple of games, I will score a
lot of goals.
You must be feeling
the pressure building.
To be honest, I felt pressure the day I signed a
professional contract. From that day until now, It’s been the same. There is
never been a day where I felt that I am in a comfort zone. Every day, every
game, every training session, I feel the pressure to give my best.
What is the latest
about your future since you are on loan from Haifa?
For now, I don’t have any idea. Like I have said, I’m
enjoying myself at SSU, who have been like a family to me. They have taken care
of me and I’m happy. It would be nice if I could stay. If I don’t stay, I will
move forward and seek greener pastures. But for now I’m happy and the club is
happy. We will talk about it.
So you are not open
to playing your football in Israel again?
It doesn’t mean I’m not open to that. I still have a
contract with Maccabi Haifa, so if they want me to come back and SuperSport
cannot put something on the table, then I have to go. I’m their player but if
something changes and SSU say they want me to stay. I’m happy here, there is
nothing more.
Lastly, do you think
you have done enough for SuperSport to want to make your stay a permanent one?
The person who can answer that is the coach, but since the
coach came here, I have been starting games and it shows that I am doing what
he wants. I have been helping the team in defence and attack.
Dino, we wish you
everything of the best.
Thanks baba.