Bafana Bafana and FCSB defender Siyabonga Ngezana has revealed one major difference between the mentality in South Africa from his time with Kaizer Chiefs and the Romania Super Liga where he currently plays.
Ngezana has had a sensational first season of European football, winning the league title in the Romanian top-flight and was named in the Super Liga Team of the Season. The 26-year-old made 31 appearances.
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Speaking on Marawa Sports World, Ngezana revealed how the intensity of training sessions is so high at his new club, it reduced some players to tears.
"Their mentality [was the biggest difference], because to me it was crazy, seeing players crying during a training session,[from] losing in a training session. It is personal, and I had never seen that," Ngezana said.
"For many years, I had never seen that, I mean it's just training, it is not personal, we are preparing. Then they cry when they lose, that's when I realized that I had to take my game seriously.
"In terms of preparing for a game; let's say we're playing on Saturday, it all starts on Monday (training session), they play the game on Monday before Saturday.
"Like here at home (South Africa), you take the game seriously on Thursday or Friday - let me prepare now, that mentality,"
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"Them (FCSB) they start on Monday, they send a message that there is a game that we are going to play, regardless of whatever team you are going to play against.
"We compete against each other. You can't say, no I'm a regular."
"Even the training, it's hard. But what I like is that even if [the training] is personal, off the pitch, we become friends, teammates."
Ngezana featured for Bafana Bafana in the two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe respectively.
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