A LIFE OF A SOCCER PLAYER

He is a young bright boy born in the family of seven, he is a last born, he never knew his father because he passed away when he was trhee years old. Brought up by his mother, he struggled in life as a young man because he couldn't get all the things he desired. Did his early education in Ndwedwe at Msunduzi primary school, then when the then std 6 beckoned he came to Kwa makhutha to stay with his elder brother, who took him through to std 10 paying his fees. Passed matric at Kwa amkhutha high school, where his soccer career started flourishing. The soccer story started in 1982 at school because he is a lazy bugger, so he never took playing soccer seriously, but when he was doing standard nine he just thought let me play for my school, and boy could he play, following year he appeared in Amazulu F.C. as a defender. Amazulu were playing in the second division at the time, and they did well on the mainstay cup because they reached the semi finals, where they played Moroka Swallows. This was gonna be the first game he has played, playing against Ace Mnini, who was at the top of his game. The coach, Henry black cat Cele sat with me in training one thursday and spoke to me about the coming game, told me that he has all the confident in me but now I am going to face umkhuthuzi as Mnini was known. He showed me a video of their game against kaizer chiefs, where he took uRyder Mofokeng to cleaners, and said please study his moves and tell me kusasa if you can mark him. I studied the tape the whole night and following day told my coach to forget that Ace Mnini ever existed which is what happendin the game I marked him out of the game, and proudly that was my first ever game on TV. Did not finish the game though because Thomas Hlongwane kicked me towards the end of the game score at nil nil, ngaphuma, was going behind the poles when he scored and we lost one nil, it was hurting seeing a stalwart like Cutter langa crying, thats soccer. Following year I joined Witbank black Aces emalahleni where I stayed from 1987 to 1990. I enjoyed my soccer at Aces, played alongside Thomas junior Ngobe, Cyprian mahhala Maimane, Amato Osman, Johannes killer Ntogoae, Johannes hero mogale, yah those were good times. Came 1990 I moved to Kaizer Chiefs where I became a very close friend with Lucas rhoo Radebe, whom I call 'Ntoba' his second name. That was when aeveryone in kwamakhutha really took notice of what I was made of as far as soccer is concerned. We were coached by different coaches during my spell but the year 1991 stands out for me at Chiefs, when Jeff Butler took over from Augusto Palacious, we won almost all the cups on offer and my big one WE won the league in 1991, my greatest achievment thus far. The following year was when South Africa was readmitted to international games, and Jeff was chosen as technical director there and left Chiefs, Mr Wiseman Mbali took over and suprisingly I was deemed not in his plans, then I was transferred to Manning RANGERS, THEdownard spiral of my soccer career. I played there for a year and decided to hang my boots as I was now troubled by a knee injury I got when the stadium fell on us in PE. So I started working in Standard bank in Braamfontein, the job I got through my girlfriend who was working there as well. We worked together for a while and got married, life was good until she got a transfer to hillbrow branch where things started getting out of order and that put a strain in our relationship. We were blessed with a handsome baby boy in 1998, although we never enjoyed his being with us because we were constantly foghting and finally 2002 got separated which she later divorced me in 2004, but if you read 'even today ngisamthanda',, that is just that and she is my ex wife. I then decided to come back to my home town in Durban. Things has never been easy since my move to Durban, firstly I wasn;t working, I then tried to send my CV to all companies with no luck. Until I went into REAL ESTATE which was not by choice but it was the only available place to work. As you know Real estate there is no salary, you only get paid when you've sold a property. That will be my next story if I make it because as I am writing this piece life is really tough. Thats my life story in a more bundled together way. OHH sorry I am Moses Ngcobo.