Phathisani Moyo talks to a man on a mission
Kagiso Dikgacoi
Age: 24
Team: Golden Arrows
Position: Defensive midfielder
Bafana Bafana caps: 17
Favourite local-based player: Tinashe Nengomasha
Favourite overseas-based player: Frank Lampard
Favourite foreign club: Barcelona
Car: Audi A3
Favourite other sport: Cricket (was a budding fast bowler at school)
Inspiration: His grandparents
Star sign: Sagittarius
Kagiso Dikgacoi is not about to do a Jabu Pule (now Mhalangu) and change his name, much to the disappointment of many sports journalists. While those of us in the print media can always google his name for the correct spelling, my heart goes out to my good friend Mark Gleesson and his fellow commentators. They are subjected to torturous efforts of attempting to pronounce Dikgacoi every time the Bafana Bafana midfield star and Golden Arrows skipper plays a match that is broadcast live.
As the towering 1.89m defensive linkman sits down for our interview at the Bafana training camp hotel, my first question was naturally on the surname that has wreaked havoc with my copy.
‘Any chance of you changing your surname like Jabu Pule did,†I asked. He shakes his head and my hand with a laugh. I may not have heard what I wanted to hear, but we had, at least, broken the ice.
Dikgacoi (pronounced Dee-haah-shwi), is a vital cog of the Bafana squad. It has been said that many matches are won and lost in the midfield. It is against this background that this defensive link will be significant to the national cause when the Confederations Cup kicks off in just over three weeks.
This he understands. ‘I am a hard worker and know that my position requires me to seldom put a foot wrong. Being captain of Golden Arrows has brought a lot of responsibility and improved my reading of the game,†he tells me.
There is no doubting this midfield maestro’s ambition. At just 24 years of age he has achieved what other footballers fail to do in a lifetime. His CV reads like that of a player who has been in top-flight football for a long time. Yet just six years ago he was playing for a social team named after Brandfort, the surburb where he was born in the Free State.
His rise to prominence has, by his own admission, been meteoric.
‘I lasted only a couple of months at Brandfort before being snapped up by Cardiff Spurs, another team in the lower leagues of Bloemfontein.â€
Again it was a short stay. ‘Then Mvela League side, Bloemfontein Young Tigers, signed me in 2005. I stayed with Tigers for just six months before my big break came along to join Golden Arrows in the PSL.
‘I cannot thank my grandparents enough for encouraging me to pursue my great love of football,†says the gentle giant.
In fact, throughout the interview, he regularly makes reference to his grandparents with affection and describes them as his key motivators and ‘number one fansâ€.
They have every reason to be proud of their grandson. Dikgacoi was called up to play for the Under-23 team after only two games for Golden Arrows. Only last year Dikgacoi was part of the Bafana squad that played in the Africa Nations Cup in Ghana.
Although Bafana coach Joel Santana will trim the current squad in camp, the Arrows captain is expected to make the final 23-man team for the tournament. That is just how good he is.
His talents have been noticed beyond these borders. He passed the trial stint at English Premier League side Fulham last year, but could not be signed because he had not earned enough senior caps to qualify for a British work permit.
But he has not given up on his dream to play in Europe. ‘I will keep working hard for my club and country and I know the rest will follow,†he says.
The midfielder’s love for his club is quite evident. ‘Many people thought I would leave for a bigger local club after my failed move to Fulham, but I did not.
‘I am professional and keen to honour my contract with the club that gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent in our top league,†he said.
However, next year could be the last season, not only at Arrows, but in the South African league. The Confederations Cup and the World Cup present the perfect stage for him to market his skills to a wider audience.
‘There are already quite a few clubs abroad talking to my agent, but for now my mind is on Bafana doing well in the Confederations Cup and the World Cup.
‘We need to be focused because it is going to be tough for us and I pray that the fans give the team all the necessary support. We are aware of the high expectations and that is why we are training so hard,†he says.
The ambitious Bafana star has set himself tough goals ahead of the Confederations Cup. ‘I will only be satisfied with a semi or finals place.â€
Even with the deflated confidence in the team, it is difficult not to take serious a player who already has 17 national team caps, made captain at his club and passed the rigorous trial of an English PSL team. All these achievements have come just after three seasons of top-flight football.