Varsity Sports caught up with Wits captain and defender, Kaizer Maphanga this past week. The man in charge of keeping the Wits team in check, hails from KwaThema, a township on the South-West of Springs in the East Rand in Gauteng. He is currently enrolled at Wits for a BSC Honours in Geography.
Maphanga was involved in his second Varsity Football campaign, also being a member of the Wits team that went as far as the semi-finals last season in Varsity Football, which has been their best finish in the competition since its inception.
When asked how he became interested in soccer, Maphanga answered: “My uncle was a footballer and he once bought my cousins and I Argentinas (boots) at a young age. This made us go out and play which lead to me falling in love with the game and I’ve never looked back since.”
Maphanga further states that former Bayana Bayana coach Joseph Mkhonza, whom is the father of ex-Kaizer Chiefs player Sphiwe Mkhonza, played a big role in shaping him as a player and he continues to play a role in his game even today.
There is also that one icon most sports personalities look up to and Kaizer really has great respect for Doctor Khumalo, who also played for his favourite local club, Kaizer Chiefs.
“My icon has got to be Doctor Khumalo because I remember growing up watching him play, I really admired the way he made his passes and the influence he had on the game. Khumalo’s achievements also make him my favourite because if you look at club and national team level, he achieved on both,” explains Kaizer.
Maphanga added that he also once wore the number 15 jersey, which his idol wore, but later one of his coaches made him change it to the number 5 jersey he wears today because he is a defender and number 15 suited attackers.
“This season of Varsity Football was incredibly tough for us as a team,” said Maphanga, reflecting on their Varsity Football campaign. “But the tournament itself was a great one, in that it continues to give us amateur footballers a chance to showcase our talent on a different platform and so I’m grateful for that.”
It’s been a season of lessons learnt for Kaizer and the Wits team.
“Personally I learnt that playing away from your home ground is rather difficult, even when you are pushing hard,” he said. “Sometimes many things just work against you, because you are not at home.”
Maphanga believes that had Wits possibly been a bit more fortunate in being allocated more home games this season, their fortunes may have been very different. Next season he looks to return and leave his mark on the tournament with his teammates. This time, however, he demands more desire and hunger from his teammates in order to do better.
“When you look at TUT, they were hungry this season and that’s why they’ve done so well. I certainly believe they will go on and win the tournament.”
Kaizer Maphanga urges young students looking to get involved in Varsity Football to make sure they put their education first and then the football. “Study hard and get the credits they require first at school before the football, it’s important to maintain a balance but just always know that your education must come first.”
By Sifiso Nyawo
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