Defender Zitha Kwinika has opened up about how he joined Kaizer Chiefs, blossoming into one of the club’s key players.
The 30-year-old is approaching 200 league appearances in the top flight of South African football. However, the journey has not been a straightforward one for the defender.
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Having been developed through the cub’s academy ranks, Kwinika had spells with Chippa United, Wits and Stellenbosch before returning to Chiefs ahead of the 22/23 season.
Speaking to Chiefs’ media team, the versatile centre-back opened up on how he joined the Soweto Giants.
"My footballing career started in Soweto," Kwinika revealed
"I played for a team called Meadowlands Spurs and from here I think the career started when we started playing the school tournaments.
"I used to study at Lamola (Lamula Jubilee Secondary School) and that's where I was spotted by Arthur Zwane, he is the one who called me to come for a bit of trials and then that's where I think I went into the Kaizer Chiefs development structures.
"Being in the development is nice for every Kasi boy, I think it's a step ahead of playing township football.
"Now you get to a different structure where you're not just playing for the sake of playing but you're playing with the dream. Because now you see the bigger picture, you are exposed to the dream where you’re being coached.
"You get the feel of playing for the big brand, the next day you add the Village where everyone wants to be, so in that, you grow personally from you just playing for the sake of playing football ko Kasi, but once you start coming to the right it builds you and then it shows you the bigger picture and you feel it and want to go for it.
No One shall Pass. Another solid performance by Zitha Kwinika. ?? pic.twitter.com/9NAgpq95iQ
— Tshemedi (@RealTshemedi) August 28, 2022
"At school to be honest with you I was not bad, I was one of those boys who could comprehend. I passed well, to be honest with you. but because of this game. Football has this thing in you, so it derails you a bit when you are the development because you’re caught between two worlds.
"So, I did push, I passed to a point whereby there was a time that when things were not happening in the footballing side I had an opportunity to go to UJ (University of Johannesburg) and get a scholarship.
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"I think when they started introducing the varsity cup (varsity football) that's when I was like let me try maybe to pursue this other side of going to school. "I had a dream of being an economist because I think that's where I got my highest marks in school. So I was like ‘Ay I’m taking that route,’ It was one of those things.
"In the end, the football won and then from there I was promoted to the senior team. Two seasons later went to other teams on loan Chippa, Wits, Stellenbosch and then back here."
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