In this edition of In The Spotlight, KickOff catches up with former Lamontville Golden Arrows player Bonang Ngaka.
Growing up, who was your idol?
"Thabo Mooki. His style of play was unique. Scara Ngobese, I think, copied some of his style from Tsiki-Tsiki. The way Scara played, his skills were similar to those of Tsiki-Tsiki."
Was Tsiki-Tsiki the player you modeled your game on?
"I'd say yes because I was also a number 6. I was moved to the right because of my speed, but Tsiki-Tsiki is the player I looked up to."
Which club did you support before turning professional?
"Kaizer Chiefs. If you look at Chiefs now, their style of play is no longer the same, and that's disappointing. We always knew Chiefs as a team that had those one or two players who would carry the team on their shoulders, and then things would happen."
Who was your best friend in football?
"Tshepo Ntsoane. He was like a friend and a big brother at the same time. He used to look after us both on and off the ball."
What do you dislike about football?
"This issue of no longer focusing on school football has caused us to lose our identity as a country. Each time a player wants to express himself, he is labeled a 'showboater.'
"As South African players, we are not physically built like Europeans or our African brothers, so our strength lies in eliminating opponents through dribbling.
"We will always struggle against opponents because we are playing to their strengths. You can't expect Relebohile Mofokeng to play a physical game; that's not his strength."
Who is your favorite player in South Africa at the moment?
"I wouldn't say I have favorites, but there are good players like Mofokeng, for example. Unfortunately, goalkeepers are not recognized in our country, but I have been very impressed by Ronwen Williams."
If you could join any South African club right now as a player, which one would it be?
"Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no specific team that has impressed me with the type of football I like. So I guess I'd just join any team."
Have you ever cheated in football?
"Many times. Due to my lack of physique, to prevent the opposition from scoring against us, I would kick their player and then scream as if I were the one who had been kicked."
If you could live anywhere in the world, which country would it be?
"South Africa. We have everything here, even though we are not utilizing it properly."