In this edition of "My Welcome to the League Moment," former Maritzburg United winger Devon Saal shares an unforgettable incident with Ndumiso Mabena.
Saal recalls how he was welcomed into the Premier Soccer League (PSL) back in 2016 while playing for Maritzburg United.
"My journey in the PSL started around 2016 and 2017 with Maritzburg United," Saal tells KickOff.
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"The first game was okay, but in the second one, we played against Bloemfontein Celtic, and that's when Ndumiso Mabena made his mark on me [laughs]. I will never forget what he did.
"I will never forget that day. This guy is so small and skinny, about my height, but he really gave me a hard time. Luckily, the game was on SABC1 and not on the PSL channel, otherwise the whole country would have laughed at me.
"That day in Bloemfontein, he was turning me every which way [laughs]. I can't even describe that turn— it wasn't a normal turn! I ended up crashing into the advertising boards, and I'll never forget that moment.
"On Monday, I appeared on 'Kasi Flavour.' The funny thing is that every time I stood up, I would look at him and say, 'I'll get you next time, man.' But he just kept doing the same thing to me."
"I was thinking, 'No! I can't be marking him again.' So whenever he was on my side, I would switch to the other side of the pitch. It became hard to tell who was marking who between us [laughs]. I was trying to avoid him.
"That guy was special. I feel clubs didn't appreciate him enough—he was underrated."
"Then there was Paulos Masehe at Free State Stars, who would literally kick you until your shin pads were broken, but my moment was definitely with Ndumiso Mabena.
"Mabena made me sit in the stands for three games afterward! I guess the coach wasn't impressed with my efforts.
"So that was my welcome to the league moment."