View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Soccer Laduma (@soccer_laduma)

Chenene: I didn't want to share it with Sandile Ndlovu

In this edition of Story Behind The Nickname, KickOff catches with former Orlando Pirates star Bennet Chenene.

The former winger explains why he ditched his nickname 'AK-47' which is popular in his hometown in Vaal. 

How long have you been owning that nickname?

"At AmaZulu the late coach Clive Barker used to call me 'Benny Bones'. I was very skinny back then. My football name is AK-47, but the fact that Sandile Ndlovu turned professional before me, I decided to drop that nickname. 

"It would have made him think I was his fan [laughs]. I played with him in the Mvela League.

"Otherwise it would have appeared to people as if sengizibiza ngaye ke manje, and I didn't want that. So when I joined Pirates I was given the nickname 'Pele'."

AK-47, who gave it to you and why?

"One of the coaches who developed me in Vaal, he is no more. He said it was because of the powerful shots I used to hit."

Did you like it? 

"Even now I still like it. I loved the name because I knew AK-47 as this powerful weapon that can shoot even under the water."

If you could relive it, what would you want your nickname to be?

"I'd still be AK-47. That's who I was supposed to be from the start. I used to give teams problems with my style of play." 

Related tags

Comments

Please Login or Register to access comments.