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‘What we are watching in the PSL is not football’, says Masibusane Zongo

Mahlatse Mphahlele Sports reporter
Former SuperSport United and Platinum Stars player Masibusane Zongo says he does not watch the DStv Premiership.
Former SuperSport United and Platinum Stars player Masibusane Zongo says he does not watch the DStv Premiership.
Image: Mahlatse Mphahlele

In a statement that is likely to divide opinion and spark debate, former stylish SuperSport United midfielder Masibusane “Zizou” Zongo has taken a dig at current footballers for their lack of quality.

The 32-year-old Zongo is widely regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation, but who never fulfilled his potential as a result of poor discipline on and off the field.

After being promoted to the SuperSport team by Pitso Mosimane in 2007, the outrageously talented Zongo had a nomadic career after he fell out love with football.

Zongo, who won two league titles at SuperSport under Gavin Hunt, played for clubs like Vasco Da Gama, Bidvest Wits, Blackburn Rovers, Platinum Stars, Royal Eagles, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM). He last was on the books of Bizana Pondo Chiefs in the third-tier ABC Motsepe League. 

⚽ “Zizou” talks about 📌 Having No Regrets 📌 Pitso Mosimane 📌 Cavin Johnson 📌 Mistakes 📌 Winning titles at SuperSport 📌 Future Plans #PrimeSportsWithMahlatse #IyozeIvume #BayozeBavume #MasibusaneZongoInterview #MahlatseMphahlele

“What we are watching in the PSL now is not football,” Zongo said.

“I am sorry for talking like that, and I hope amajita [the guys] will forgive me. I hope they’ll be honest with themselves because some of the players we watch today, haai [no man].”

Zongo said he finds it hard to watch the DStv Premiership because it is not exciting for him.

“I don’t watch the PSL at the moment. What I am going to watch? Our style of football has changed. Those who came before us used to watch skillful players like Teenage Dladla and other top players of that generation.

“The problem is the style being played at the moment. That’s why the PSL is average, because we have average players. Look at the national team, there are players like Haashim Domingo at Sundowns and he is not even in the national team and that boy is a star.

“We have players like Sphelele Mkhulise but they are not in the national team. What I am saying is that the level of football in the country has gone down significantly.

“Football used to be nice at the time when we had players like the late Isaac 'Shakes' Kungwane, Jabulani Mendu, Teko Modise, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Emmanuel “Scara” Ngobese, Masibusane Zongo, Junior Khanye, Jabu Mahlangu, Skapie Malatsi and others. That was football at its best.”

“These days, I’ll rather watch overseas football than the PSL. From my time when I was a ball boy at SuperSport, I watched guys like Teko and I used to enjoy football but now it's no longer the same.

“There is no football now. When you want to watch football you must watch [Mamelodi] Sundowns. Sundowns is the only team  I enjoy watching because they play good football. Orlando Pirates are on and off and I don’t even watch [Kaizer] Chiefs. I just can’t.”