Nhlanhla
Shabalala Ready To Revive His Career At AmaZulu
Nhlanhla
Shabalala parted ways with Ajax Cape Town after spending over a decade at the
Ikamva-based side since graduating from the club’s junior ranks. Shabba or
Mbokodo as the player is known in football talks about the ups and downs during
his long stay at the Urban Warriors.
Personal Information
Full names: Enoch Nhlanhla Shabalala
Date of birth: 16 December 1985
Place of birth: Embalenhle, Mpumalanga
Jersey no: 18
Nickname: Shabba/Mbokodo
Position: Midfielder
Club: AmaZulu
Previous Teams: Paradise FC, Remember FC, Early Birds FC, Ajax Cape Town Juniors, Ajax Cape Town
Honours: 2006 Telkom Knockout runner-up, 2007 Absa Cup winner, 2007/08 League runner-up, 2007 Mangaung cup winner, 2008 Telkom knockout winner, 2008 Mangaung Cup winner, 2009 Telkom Knockout runner-up, 2010/11 League runner up (all with Ajax).
Hola
Mbokodo, you left Ajax after spending over a decade at the club. You must have
a lot to say about your time there. How would you sum up your stay in the
Mother City?
First and foremost, I would like to thank
Ajax Cape Town for giving me the platform and the opportunity and developing me
to get where I am today. They advised me where I was going wrong and right and
helped me to be the man I am today. There are many people there that played an
influential role in my career. George and John Comitis looked after me very
well when I was there and although we didn’t have much time together, the new
management was also very good to me. I didn’t have any issues with them. I’m
grateful for what I learned there and the respect they showed me throughout my
time at Ajax but in life things have to change at some point.
You
have been through the ranks at Ajax and have seen a number of youngsters go to
greener pastures. While you remained at the club. How do you look at this?
I’m happy for them. As footballers in a
squad of say 28, every one of us wants to go overseas. In reality however, we
all know that it is not going to happen for all of us. Whenever I look at
pictures on the wall at Ajax, there are U11, U13, U15, U17, and U19 teams. They
get promoted from one division to another annually. On average only two of them
get to play in the PSL. Maybe two others go to the NFD. Some are still in the
ABC Motsepe league (second division) because not all players make it. So I’m
lucky that I’m in the PSL and still playing after all these years. My dream is
to go overseas at some point. It’s never too late, anything can happen. I wish
them all the best but I wish I would find myself in the same position as them.
Did
playing for a selling club affect your progress in any way?
The more the team changes, the more you
have to adjust. The new guys have to understand that if Shabba goes to the
left, he either wants the ball in space or at his feet. I won’t make excuses
and say that it hampered my progress because we could have kept the same team
only for things to turn out exactly the same way. It is not a reflection of who
and where I am at the moment.
Was
there ever a time when you felt like calling it a day due to the recurring
injuries?
No. Generally, I’m a happy guy. I have got
a very good support structure from family and friends. My friends understand
football and they always encourage me. It never crossed my mind because age is
still on my side. Maybe if I was getting those injuries at the age of 33 or so,
I would have thought about quitting. If you’re hit with injuries at 24 or 26,
thinking about quitting is a crime. I’m still committed and loving the game. I’m
hungry for game time.
Many
labelled you as the next best thing to come out of Ikamva but you never really
lived up to your potential.
I wouldn’t say that I didn’t live up to my potential.
I can safely say that in the time I spent at Ajax, I gave them my all. From
what I know, they are highly appreciated with the effort I gave to the team
even though
I probably didn’t get to the level I was expected to be at. But I didn’t give
those guys anything less than my best and they never appreciated me any less.
The job that I had to do was done whenever God allowed in terms of being
injury-free. I gave everything I could whenever I was on the park. It’s one of
the things that happen in football. I’m not going to cry over spilt milk.
I’m at AmaZulu now and it’s time to revive
my career. Maybe when I was fit I didn’t push myself enough where I could
challenge for a regular place and possibly get a spot in Bafana Bafana. This is
the time. I know it’s easy to say things than do them, but we can never live
without hope.
Shabba,
all the best for the New Year.
Thank you, you too.