In this edition of My Locker Room Secrets, Lovers Mohlala reveals what used to take place in the Mamelodi Sundowns dressing room.
Whose locker room are we in today?
"Lovers Mohlala."
Who was always late?
"It was me and 'Fire' Masilela. I had a lot of commitments then, I was in the taxi industry, sometimes I'd play dice, sometimes busy with women.
"Masilela was always towing a caravan, I don't know if it doubled up as his bedroom or what [laughs]."
Any interesting rituals before they played?
"I don't believe in those things. Even when a person threatened to bewitch me I didn't care.
"Even at home when they do some ritual stuff, I tell them straight I don't believe in those things.
"Even a woman if she wants me to ditch her, she must just go to see a witch doctor, immediately she returns she will be out of my life. I don't do rituals."
Who was the Jokester?
"It was me. All my teammates at Sundowns were just quiet. I was the one who spoke too much, and I'm the one who used to lead strikes, I used to stop gym sessions, even in the national team I'd stop a training session and complain about money.
"And I used to carry a firearm to training. They used to write at City Press 'The players are scared of him because he is carrying a gun.' I'd do that for control.
"And I was not the only one. There was a teammate who used to do the same but I don't want to talk about him."
Was it a muti change room?
"No, at Sundowns they were not using muti. They only used holy oil.
"During Bra Stan's era, they did use muti though, but when Bra Stan [Screamer Tshabalala] left, the muti stopped."
Who was the singer?
"Themba Mnguni. I just can't remember the songs."
Who was the best dressed and worst dressed?
"There is best dressed and worst dressed. 'Fire' used to dress neat, and Raphael Chukwu, Roger Feutmba, and John Tlale used to be the best dressed…when you are best dressed we are talking about a label while being neatly dressed is just looking clean.
"The worst dressed I will give it to Alex Bapela. He used to dress the Polokwane style [laughs]. I won't mention it. When Sundowns signed him, he arrived wearing a balaclava, a Bermuda shorts and boots."
Rate the coach's team talk…
"I will talk about two coaches. First of all, there was Bra Stan who would bring down your spirit, you only needed to understand him.
"He would say about me, you see here we bought a player who is forever injured. It's like paying for a car that is still going to be stolen first before being delivered to you. Aah, other coaches warned me not to buy you, boy, it shows I don't listen.
"He would ask, what's your name boy?
Didn't white people give you a name? I'd say, Lovers. Then he'd go like, listen, today you are a striker we will call you the horse and trailer truck all you have to do is to knock them over.
"Then there was Paul Dolezar. His biggest problem was English. He'd go like, Lovers you are the good player, you go forward like a Ferrari, but you come back like a bicycle. You are just like Martin Zwane, going forward he is like a Ferrari but to come back he must first go and buy petrol.
"He would say, 'Fire!' you are a good player, but you dribble the player you dribble the referee, but when you see a keeper it's like you see a policeman you decide to come back [laughs]."