Watching local soccer drama Lisenethini on SABC1, Peter Makurube recalls days when failure to gain entry to a stadium reduced grown men to tears
The creation of a soccer drama Lisenethini, starring local heroes, about our own demi-gods of the pigskin, is the best thing to have happened on television since the first screenings of local football in the late Seventies.
The series, currently being screened on SABC1 on Wednesdays at 8.30pm, portrays the good and the dark side of the beautiful game as it was. Lisenethini pays tribute to the those great matadors who held millions spellbound week in and week out. It’s straight out of a time before television when most fans relied on radio commentaries by magnificent wordsmiths.
At the top of the heap was Theta Masombuka whose command of the Zulu language was a marvel. He was a hard act to follow. Koos Radebe, now the head of public radio at the SABC, was, however, up to the task. He was probably the last of a generation of broadcasters who made you “see” the game. His voice is the one that opens proceedings on the series with his rapid-fire presentation.
The rot that beset the local game is portrayed in Lisenethini by actors who have, in real life, witnessed the highs and the lows of the game. Fats Bookholane is a veteran of many a film – including international features. Kid Sithole is one of the most accomplished actors in the land and plays his part with uncanny accuracy. The other veteran of stage and screen, bra Sol Rachilo, is the true, ruthless township soccer boss.
The series takes one back to the days when soccer was better than sex, the real religion of the masses. Some of the best players of that bygone era hobbled away with nothing to show for their mesmerising wizardry. Some used their status to gain entry into management and coaching jobs while the rest slid into obscurity. Others, frustrated by the lack of comfort that should have come with their talents, looked deep into the bottle. Their former idolaters either bought them more drinks – “Bra Joe, laat ek jou ‘n half jack blaas” – or spat at them.
Soccer was about the only entertainment for blacks in the townships. Failure to gain entry into the stadium could reduce grown men to tears.
How the Kaizer Chiefs management must long for those heady days when the peace sign was not just a sign. Amakhosi fans were known for their cool attitude. Pirates, on the other hand, were known for their unfriendly fans.
The fans would be all dressed up, taunting each other and betting on the score. The queues were longer than the Maputo corridor. On the pitch the gladiators never disappointed. Each and every game was unique – the stuff dreams are made of.
Zachariah Lamola’s ball skills were so mind-boggling that even South Africa’s most creative supporters could not find words to describe his magic – hence the name “Computer”. Chiefs’s biggest name was Ace Ntsoelengoe, whose speed, shooting, passing and ability to read a game and take full control was a gift to which many could only aspire.
In Pretoria, the wizards of the game were as great as their Jozi counterparts. Pretoria Callies boasted the talents of Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe and Nkosi “Let Them Dance” Molala – the names say it all.
Durban produced the legendary Amazulu midfielder Sugar Ray Xulu, who played way into his forties. The man with the most educated left foot on the pitch, Mlungisi “Professor” Ngubane, from Durban Bush Bucks, left an indelible mark on the memories of millions.
Jomo Sono, who was destined for greatness way beyond that of his charismatic father, became the youngest player to don the black and white jersey of Pirates. He was the ultimate sorcerer – poetry in motion, and remains one of Africa’s most revered stars. The likes of him are not born every day.
The criminality of soccer started long ago. Being manager of Orlando Pirates was like a double-edged knife. You could be a very rich man indeed – provided you got out before you were assassinated. Many Bucs managers died in office, literally.
The greatest soccer marketer of them all, Ewert “The Lip” Nene, a co-founder of Kaizer Chiefs, died at the hand of a vicious knifeman while trying to recruit star striker Teenage Dladla. The latter went on to play for Chiefs anyway and repayed Nene’s faith in him with years of loyal service to the team. Today he is forgotten and works as a fireman. “Mgabadeli” however will forever occupy a special place in the hearts of all football lovers.
With Lesenethini, Gomolemo Mokae has come up with a story that gives the black community a chance to communicate with their children on a subject of common interest which adults know best.
This drama is a long road down sentimental avenue but then soccer, like jazz, becomes part of people’s lives. When the last whistle has been blown, the memories, the analysis and the arguments continue for years to come. Whether Mokae will capture the essence of those bitter sweet years of soccer history under apartheid will become clearer with each episode.
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