Like father, like son

It was always going to be difficult spotting him. The lad had only played twice for his team, once as a substitute. I had never seen him, his reputation — or rather his potential — had preceded him.

As I watched Wits University go through their paces at their ground one evening this week, the struggle to identify my subject continued as scores of youngsters chased the ball everywhere for much of the night.

Suddenly it happened.

The ball was passed from the centre of the field to the right wing. A lad, about 18 years, traps the ball, arms around his chest with elbows protruding from the side of his upper body.

He looks up, sees no movement and dashes up-field. His short dreadlocks jumping up and down as he gallops goalward. He blasts past the keeper — to the delight of the coaching staff.

I could swear it was déjà vu. I had, in the mid-1980s, seen a similar sight at the Orlando stadium in Soweto. The difference was that instead of dreadlocks, the youngster had a shiny perm. He did not score but laid it down to his teammate who blasted past the Pirates goalkeeper to register one of the goals in a 4-0 win for Bloemfontein Celtic.

After that season a whole generation of central midfielders wished to be called, or called themselves, Wire — all holding their arms around their chests with elbows protruding from the sides of their upper bodies. All wanted to be Ernest ‘Wire” Chirwali, later known as Mtawali — the Malawian star regarded as one of the best imports to ever grace South African football pitches.

The Wits youngster did not ape Mtawali’s style. It’s in the genes. He is Patrick Mtawali, Ernest’s 18-year-old son.

With the Absa Cup draw pitting Ajax — where Mtawali senior plays —and Wits University, there is the possibility of a rarity in world football: a father and a son could face each other in a competitive, top-flight match.

Both players have been in the squads but have struggled to break into the first teams. Patrick says he is not in a hurry.

‘I started playing a long time ago. I was at Pirates Juniors, then Bloemfontein Celtic before coming here. My father has taught me the most important thing about playing professional soccer: attitude. And how to handle myself on and off the pitch.”

Can he be greater than his father?

‘I have to be better than him. Every soccer player dreams big. You are not a soccer player if you do not dream big.”

If Patrick gets one over his dad this weekend, it won’t be the first time, he says.

‘We used to play a type of tennis in the court where we used our feet, head or body to control the ball and play it across the net.

‘Just like in tennis, you are allowed one touch but unlike tennis you are allowed up to three touches. When I started beating him, he ran away to Ajax,” he says with that unmistakable Mtawali grin.

Wits coach Roger de Sa has good things to say about the two Mtawalis.

‘Firstly, that Ernest had the confidence to bring his kid to me is an honour and a privilege. I’m flattered.

‘But I must say that we did not sign him because he is Ernest’s kid, but because of what we saw in him,” says De Sa.

‘You can tell that he has been brought up in a football environment and culture. He is a good footballer for his age and he is easy to teach.”

For Ernest, Patrick’s rise has been unexpected.

‘I never planned for it this way. It must be God’s plan. It is true that when he started getting better, I decided to go to Cape Town,” says Ernest with a chuckle.

It is good that Patrick is easy to teach because it was the main reason Ernest brought him to Wits.

‘When I first came to South Africa, it was to look for my mom whom I had not seen since I was seven. I did not complete my education.

‘I believe that education is the most important thing for Patrick,” says Ernest.

The senior Mtawali says Wits is a good place for his son to further his football and academic education. Patrick is a business management student at Wits Technikon.

Dad will also be happy to see his son be a better player than he was in his prime.

‘I have not really watched him in a competitive match, but overall I want him to be a better player than I was. I want him to be not just a distributor but a ball winner as well. I want him to be like Steven Gerrard [the England and Liverpool midfielder].

‘I know and respect Roger as a footballer, coach and as a person. I am sure that my son is in good hands.”