Mkhize wishes to win league before hanging up his boots

In the wake of surpassing 200 appearances for Cape Town City, captain Thamsanqa Mkhize has revealed he would like to win the league before retiring. 

Mkhize, who turns 35 in August, has won two cups (the 2016/17 season’s Telkom Knockout and the 2018/19 term’s MTN8) with City. Having already been the most capped player in City’s brief history, the KwaXimba-born defender won his 200th cap for City when they beat Orlando Pirates 2-1 early last month. KwaXimba is a village in between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in KZN.

“When I was growing up my dream was to play football professionally and I achieved that...I have already won three cups [counting the 2009/10 season’s MTN8 he won with Golden Arrows]. I also got a chance to play for Bafana Bafana [he boasts nine senior national team caps]. Now winning the league is the only missing feat to complete my legacy,” Mkhize told Sowetan.

“I am really determined to win the league before hanging up my boots...that’s my goal. I will work hard for it. As the captain I have to make my teammates believe that we can win the league...they must buy into my belief.”

Mkhize wasn’t aware of his impending milestone heading into the Pirates game. “I wasn’t aware that I was going to play my 200th game against Pirates until I was told by a few people within the team two days before match day. It was exciting... I can’t lie,” the City skipper noted.

Quizzed when he thought he would call it a day, Mkhize made it clear he would retire once his body was no longer taking it, highlighting he was also driven by passion. Mkhize has now played 205 games for the Citizens, scoring eight times and has 15 assists.

“My body is still strong and I still have passion for football. I will think about quitting football the day my body starts to act funny. That’s when my passion will go away. I am in top shape at the moment because I take good care of my body,” Mkhize explained.