In this edition of My Secret to Success, KickOff catches up with former Black Leopards and Dynamos striker Coxwell 'Magic' Ratshivhadelo.
The Venda-born striker shares his story about how a strong relationship with Owen Da Gama helped him reach the top of his career.
"My story is interesting because, first of all, I come from a poor family, which means everything I did was to improve our situation at home," says Ratshivhadelo.
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"Like every kid, I started playing football at school while also being part of a team called XI Bullets, which plays in the third tier. That's where Owen Da Gama, who was with Dynamos at the time, spotted me.
"I arrived there wearing an old, torn jacket while others were dressed in tracksuits. If you had seen me that day, you wouldn't have thought I was headed to a professional team. I was lucky to be traveling with Owen Da Gama in his own car. He and I come from the same small village.
"As a village boy, I was scared to meet so many township boys, but I think my humility, along with my connection to Owen Da Gama, worked in my favour," added Magic.
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"After signing with Dynamos, I traveled with the team to up to four games without getting any game time. I was always on the bench.
"Da Gama never wanted to leave me behind, he told me; 'The reason we always travel with you is because I want you to learn from everything we do before you get your chance'.
"My first game was against Barberton All Stars in Mpumalanga, and I scored three goals that day.
"I remember that during that tier, we weren't paid salaries. So yeah Owen Da Gama is the one who discovered me from the amateur ranks and opened the doors to professional football for me.
"The amateur team I was with was paid by Dynamos with five balls for my services."