/ 17 May 2013

Swede dreams are made of ‘Tiki’

Tokelo Rantie at home in the quaint streets of the Swedish city's Old Town.
Tokelo Rantie at home in the quaint streets of the Swedish city's Old Town.

Bafana Bafana striker Tokelo Rantie (22), is taking Swedish football by storm. The former Orlando Pirates and Stars of Africa player has so far this season scored four goals in the Swedish Premier League and recently signed a four-year deal with Malmö FF, one of the country's top sides.

"People in the streets clap their hands when they see me. There's a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations," says "Tiki", as he is affectionately called in his new hometown.

An unusual bout of spring sunshine dazzles the streets of Malmö's Old Town, a few blocks from the city's vast parkland and the revamped docks area that was once at the heart of Europe's shipbuilding industry. Lunchtime drinkers spill out on the cobbled pavements and turn their faces to the sun in typical Scandinavian style, soaking up the first rays of summer.

"When it's cold here … We are talking 10 or 15 degrees below freezing. It's hard to get used to," says Rantie as we sit down in the near-empty basement café.

Casually dressed in black jeans and a T-shirt, he walks languidly down the steps; a far cry from the powerful and razor-sharp sprints that have left Rantie's fans awestruck. Malmö Football Club's latest addition kick-started the season by crisscrossing his way through Halmstad's defence and scoring a spectacular goal. In Sunday's match against Djurgården, he put Malmö firmly in the lead after only 55 seconds.

"I wouldn't perform if it weren't for the team," he says with a humbleness that is almost as notorious as his right foot. "Malmö is a great platform. I have never been under a coach who lets me explore my talent like [MFF coach] Rikard Norling."

Rough diamond
But Rantie has had to make some adjustment to adapt to the game in Sweden: "South Africans are very skilful players. They can do incredible things with the ball. But a lot of the focus is on the stars, and here you work together as a team. The tempo is much higher in Sweden. When I played my first game against Sundsvall and came in as a sub, I was tired after 10 minutes!"

His talents have been noted by fans and journalists alike; local sports writers call him "a rough diamond" and "possibly the best player in Allsvenskan [the Swedish Premier League].

"He really has taken us by storm," says Norling about his new recruit. "There is an explosiveness about him that's rare to find in such a young player."

Rantie made his competitive debut for Malmö in August last year, scoring a hat-trick against Sandviken in the Swedish Cup. In the previous season, he scored 10 goals in 12 matches for Swedish third division side Ängelholm, a result that attracted the attention of Orlando Pirates.

"They wanted to sign me straight away. I couldn't believe it," says Rantie about his return to South Africa.

"I was ready to quit football. Then it happened – I scored goals for Orlando Pirates and won everything that was on offer."

He stayed with Pirates for a season, and in June last year he made his debut for Bafana Bafana in a World Cup qualifier against Botswana.

First priority
"To represent South Africa was the greatest moment of my career. At the time, I didn't have any plans to go back to Sweden. My mom was sick and I wanted to stay in the country. But the club [Orlando Pirates] couldn't agree on a price with Stars of Africa [the youth coaching academy that nurtured him]. My agent sent a video to Malmö and it turned out that Rikard Norling wanted someone like me. Not all African players get an opportunity like that."

Rantie grew up with a single mother and two older sisters in Parys in Free State. Money was scarce and the young footballer slept rough on the streets of Johannesburg when he trialled for the academies.

"It wasn't easy for me. That's why I pushed myself so hard. I gave my studies first priority and only took football seriously after matric. I told my mum that I was going to give it two years, and if I didn't make it I'd go back to school," he says.

Then, after two years, came the breakthrough with Pirates.

"It gave me hope that football can take me places. Sure, it can make me money now. But I can break a leg or get injured tomorrow. Education is the most powerful tool."

Rantie brings the same approach to his training and is often seen doing sprints when the rest of the team start walking off the pitch after practice. He has given up on most of his social life to focus on his career.

European career
"As a footballer, your life is limited. You always have to impress. Even off the pitch you have a responsibility to be a role model. But I'm more mature now and can handle the critics. The more people criticise me, the better I want to do."

Sweden could be Rantie's ticket to the major leagues; a stepping stone for a European career.

"I managed to turn around a difficult time in my life. I was never worried about big cars or expensive watches, but it gives me a great feeling knowing that my family is safe," he says.

Besides his success on the field, he is enjoying life off it as well. "I love the parks. I enjoy walking a lot, and here you can walk through the parks even at night. There is no crime. That's the first thing that impressed me about Sweden. Also, the people are friendly and don't treat me as an outsider.

On June 6, Rantie joins Bafana Bafana in Cameroon for a World Cup qualifier against war-ravaged Central African Republic.

"We can make it all the way to Brazil. I never made the junior national teams, so it feels good to finally represent the country."

The South African may be a long way from home, but he's not quite ready to return to Mzansi.

"I'm happy that I'm paying taxes to Sweden rather than to Jacob Zuma's pockets," he said.