Zuma is currently in Cape Town training with promoted PSL club Vasco de Gama
Once hailed as “The Golden Boy” of Bafana Bafana and still credited with securing the PSL’s most lucractive contract offered to a local player, 35-year-old Sibusiso Zuma is determined to restore gloss and glamour to a career that was badly tarnished during a disasterous two seasons with big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns.
After a spell of moderate success with minnows FC Nordssjaellan, who surprised all and sundry last season by annexing the Danish Cup title, Zuma is currently in Cape Town training with promoted PSL club Vasco de Gama — and while he has yet to sign a contract, coach Carlos das Neves is raving about his form.
“I have been pleasantly surprised to see Sibusiso in such good condition,” said Das Neves, “and showing a lot of his old dynamic touches.”
Neither of these, however, were apparent after Zuma signed a record-breaking contract with Sundowns in June, 2008, which guaranteed him a stunning salary of more than R200,000 a month.
Extravagant Sundowns, not known for their aptitude in signing suitable players, had ignored, or not known that Zuma was still hampered by recurring injuries at the time and his appearances for the club over two seasons were largely sporadic — and with strictly moderate success.
He was released at the end of the 2009 season and returned to Denmark, where in his heyday with FC Kebenhaven he was voted his adopted country’s “Player of the Year”.
A spell with Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s Bundes League followed and during the peak of his form in 2006, misguided Bafana coach Ted Dumitru made him the captain of the ill-fated Bafana team that never scored a goal in their entire African Nations Cup campaign in Egypt.
Zuma failed to come up to expectations as a goal-scorer in the tournament and his appointment as captain may have played a part in his indifferent form.
Sundowns hailed his signing as a master stroke, but it materialised as a master bungle instead.
Now the likeable, engaging KwaZulu-born player who starred for African Wanderers and Orlando Pirates locally is out to end his career by recapturing some of his old glory — either with Vaso in Cape Town or further afield if necessary.
Sibusiso Zuma wants to restore tarnished image
Zuma is currently in Cape Town training with promoted PSL club Vasco de Gama
Once hailed as “The Golden Boy” of Bafana Bafana and still credited with securing the PSL’s most lucractive contract offered to a local player, 35-year-old Sibusiso Zuma is determined to restore gloss and glamour to a career that was badly tarnished during a disasterous two seasons with big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns.
After a spell of moderate success with minnows FC Nordssjaellan, who surprised all and sundry last season by annexing the Danish Cup title, Zuma is currently in Cape Town training with promoted PSL club Vasco de Gama — and while he has yet to sign a contract, coach Carlos das Neves is raving about his form.
“I have been pleasantly surprised to see Sibusiso in such good condition,” said Das Neves, “and showing a lot of his old dynamic touches.”
Neither of these, however, were apparent after Zuma signed a record-breaking contract with Sundowns in June, 2008, which guaranteed him a stunning salary of more than R200,000 a month.
Extravagant Sundowns, not known for their aptitude in signing suitable players, had ignored, or not known that Zuma was still hampered by recurring injuries at the time and his appearances for the club over two seasons were largely sporadic — and with strictly moderate success.
He was released at the end of the 2009 season and returned to Denmark, where in his heyday with FC Kebenhaven he was voted his adopted country’s “Player of the Year”.
A spell with Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s Bundes League followed and during the peak of his form in 2006, misguided Bafana coach Ted Dumitru made him the captain of the ill-fated Bafana team that never scored a goal in their entire African Nations Cup campaign in Egypt.
Zuma failed to come up to expectations as a goal-scorer in the tournament and his appointment as captain may have played a part in his indifferent form.
Sundowns hailed his signing as a master stroke, but it materialised as a master bungle instead.
Now the likeable, engaging KwaZulu-born player who starred for African Wanderers and Orlando Pirates locally is out to end his career by recapturing some of his old glory — either with Vaso in Cape Town or further afield if necessary.