THERE is never a dull moment with Isaac “Shakes”  Kungwane  around.

It was a similar case when he was in possession of the ball, most notably when marshalling the midfield at Kaizer Chiefs.

His wizardry and precise passing earned him the respect of his teammates and the opposition alike, even if his tricky passes frustrated some of his coaches.

The former Bafana Bafana man, who is now a popular soccer analyst at SuperSport and a businessman, took time to speak to Sowetan yesterday – in typical township style.

Do you still live in Alexandra?

I will never leave ekasi and still hang out with people I grew up with in Alex.

Who were your best friends?

Pollen Ndlanya and the late Thabang Lebese. But Pollen once angered me while we were still playing but I forgave him.

He won an award as a top goalscorer and instead of thanking me for always providing him with telling passes to score, guess what, he thanked his wife. I was very angry with him and I told him at training that from then on, his wife must pass to him.

You created lot of goals for the strikers, how many did you score yourself?

If I’m not mistaken, I scored not more than six goals in my entire career. My job was to create goals and spoon-feed players like Fani Madida, Shane McGregor and Pollen. They used to pay me to pass them the ball (laughing).

You grew up supporting Orlando Pirates, how did you end up in Naturena?

Chiefs wanted me badly and I must say that Teenage Dladla played a very important role in convincing me to play for them. At that time Pirates and (Mamelodi) Sundowns were also after my signature. I remember Zola Mahobe coming to my home with a briefcase full of money to lure me to Sundowns, but I chose Chiefs, thanks to Teenage’s persistence.

What did Dladla do?

He promised to give me his number11 jersey. I was very touched by his gesture. It was a very special moment for me to have a player of Teenage’s ilk give me his jersey. I think I did justice to the jersey.

When did you make your debut for Chiefs?

In the 1991 Iwisa Spectacular final against Sundowns. I was a bit nervous and my first two touches were not that good but I regained my composure as the game progressed. Fans loved what they saw from me. The following year we won a triple.

Your coach at Chiefs, Paul Dolezar was not a complete fan of your style of play. Can you tell us about your relationship with him?

(Giggling) Paul was a funny coach. He used to reprimand me for my unique way of passing. He told me that I confused players because I passed the ball looking in the opposite direction. I also remember Dolezar shouting at me during the match, ‘ Shakes , where is the ball?’ I had confused him because the ball was behind me but I kept going forward without losing possession. I enjoyed working under Jeff Butler. He understood me.

Can you tell us about your memorable goals?

The one I scored against Michau Warriors in 1996 at the Johannesburg Stadium. I scored from the halfway mark. Another (memorable) goal is the one I scored direct from a corner kick against Dinonyana.

You used to battle against weight. What was the problem?

Burger, pap, meat and junk food were my friends. I also hated hard training.

THERE is never a dull moment with Isaac “Shakes”  Kungwane  around.

I’ve never believed I was famous. I remained humble and respected my fans.