Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Michael Manzini had set his eyes on becoming a big-shot lawyer while he was in high school.
The 50-year-old ex-Downs ever-reliable and loyal defender says he only gained interest in football when he was about 16 or 17 years old.
Although he managed to pursue his law qualification, Manzini was in the right place at the right time when two notable club legends, Zola Mahobe and Screamer Tshabalala, spotted him during the South African Student Sports Union (Sassu) games while he was a student at the University of the North, now known University of Limpopo or Turfloop.
“Ever since then, I can safely say Masandwana is the club I have come to know. When they came into my space, with the likes of Zola Mahobe representing the club, I think people started developing some sort of interest in the club, including myself.
“This Bafana Ba Style thing came in, now people are talking about it and that’s how the club has been for the longest time now,” said Manzini.
He started playing for the team in 1995.
“There was a lot of anxiety around Sundowns when it came into the picture because many were only exposed to Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at the time. They were operating at their own level and people wondered who they were. But the information was interesting, there were a lot of interesting things about the team, so I developed an interest before even playing for them.”
Having retired from playing in 2009 following an injury, Manzini now is responsible for sharpening the Mamelodi Sundowns U19 team.
“I am now about youth development. That’s what I enjoy the most. I like meeting the demands in terms of raising and developing footballers.
“It’s more about that but also it means taking a boy from society and building them until they become men who can contribute back to society in different ways,” he said.
As a trusted defender, he served the club for 14 good years and has been one of the coaches for more than 10.
When he saw that the club still valued his presence and skills, he made it a point to get qualified and worked on obtaining the CAF licence.
The transition was smooth from his playing days to finding a coaching job as swiftly as possible, he said.
“When you love something, your work ethic improves, and you are inspired to work harder. The environment at Downs came and still comes with a lot of stability for me. I think they saw that I was putting the interests of the club before my personal interests. I never had to think about my next contract, I felt secure,” he speaks of loyalty between himself and the club.
“I have put in the effort, it was not even about the money. People at the club appreciated me for that. I am comfortable because I have achieved a lot in contributing to the club and got recognition.”
He said the Sundowns’ success was putting the club on the map.
“It highlights the importance of hard work. When you work hard, you will achieve your goals. This way the other teams can see that it is doable. The amount of work they put in their team from administration to players, the goal is common, it inspires others a lot,” Manzini said.
As he has made over 250 appearances for the club as a captain, Manzini, had his own strategy in his heyday.
“I made sure I played with my brain rather than just using the body. This is because I wanted to stay ahead of the strikers, the situation that might happen so I can be able to defend for my team. I want to predict what is about to happen and the possible destination of the ball. You keep your brain active as a whole as well when you do this,” said Manzini.
He also emphasises the importance of retiring smart as football players and planning ahead.
“It’s important to anticipate and plan your next adventure when retiring as a player. The path of retiring is always there for us to walk, so you need to know what you want to become after that.
"Not every plan will work, but plan anyway. When some players retire, they struggle to even put food on the table. Plan on how you will be able to support yourself, your loved ones and your goals.”
Manzini was born and bred in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, and says he would juggle herding cattle and school at the same time.
“Like any other young boy growing up in a village, I was exposed to cattle farming, which was one of the things I couldn’t avoid because of the family. I took pride in it because herding cattle shaped me as a man.
"I would milk cows. I had no fear because this part of my life built me to be brave. I had to juggle walking long distances to school and herding cattle,” Manzini said.
ratsatsik@sowetan.co.za
Downs gave me a stable career, says Manzini
Legend emphasises importance of retiring smart
Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Michael Manzini had set his eyes on becoming a big-shot lawyer while he was in high school.
The 50-year-old ex-Downs ever-reliable and loyal defender says he only gained interest in football when he was about 16 or 17 years old.
Although he managed to pursue his law qualification, Manzini was in the right place at the right time when two notable club legends, Zola Mahobe and Screamer Tshabalala, spotted him during the South African Student Sports Union (Sassu) games while he was a student at the University of the North, now known University of Limpopo or Turfloop.
“Ever since then, I can safely say Masandwana is the club I have come to know. When they came into my space, with the likes of Zola Mahobe representing the club, I think people started developing some sort of interest in the club, including myself.
“This Bafana Ba Style thing came in, now people are talking about it and that’s how the club has been for the longest time now,” said Manzini.
He started playing for the team in 1995.
“There was a lot of anxiety around Sundowns when it came into the picture because many were only exposed to Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at the time. They were operating at their own level and people wondered who they were. But the information was interesting, there were a lot of interesting things about the team, so I developed an interest before even playing for them.”
Having retired from playing in 2009 following an injury, Manzini now is responsible for sharpening the Mamelodi Sundowns U19 team.
“I am now about youth development. That’s what I enjoy the most. I like meeting the demands in terms of raising and developing footballers.
“It’s more about that but also it means taking a boy from society and building them until they become men who can contribute back to society in different ways,” he said.
As a trusted defender, he served the club for 14 good years and has been one of the coaches for more than 10.
When he saw that the club still valued his presence and skills, he made it a point to get qualified and worked on obtaining the CAF licence.
The transition was smooth from his playing days to finding a coaching job as swiftly as possible, he said.
“When you love something, your work ethic improves, and you are inspired to work harder. The environment at Downs came and still comes with a lot of stability for me. I think they saw that I was putting the interests of the club before my personal interests. I never had to think about my next contract, I felt secure,” he speaks of loyalty between himself and the club.
“I have put in the effort, it was not even about the money. People at the club appreciated me for that. I am comfortable because I have achieved a lot in contributing to the club and got recognition.”
He said the Sundowns’ success was putting the club on the map.
“It highlights the importance of hard work. When you work hard, you will achieve your goals. This way the other teams can see that it is doable. The amount of work they put in their team from administration to players, the goal is common, it inspires others a lot,” Manzini said.
As he has made over 250 appearances for the club as a captain, Manzini, had his own strategy in his heyday.
“I made sure I played with my brain rather than just using the body. This is because I wanted to stay ahead of the strikers, the situation that might happen so I can be able to defend for my team. I want to predict what is about to happen and the possible destination of the ball. You keep your brain active as a whole as well when you do this,” said Manzini.
He also emphasises the importance of retiring smart as football players and planning ahead.
“It’s important to anticipate and plan your next adventure when retiring as a player. The path of retiring is always there for us to walk, so you need to know what you want to become after that.
"Not every plan will work, but plan anyway. When some players retire, they struggle to even put food on the table. Plan on how you will be able to support yourself, your loved ones and your goals.”
Manzini was born and bred in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, and says he would juggle herding cattle and school at the same time.
“Like any other young boy growing up in a village, I was exposed to cattle farming, which was one of the things I couldn’t avoid because of the family. I took pride in it because herding cattle shaped me as a man.
"I would milk cows. I had no fear because this part of my life built me to be brave. I had to juggle walking long distances to school and herding cattle,” Manzini said.
ratsatsik@sowetan.co.za
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