In our exciting new feature, former shot-stopper William Shongwe reveals the fascinating story of how he became a goalkeeper in a decorated career for the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Shongwe also worked as a goalkeeper coach for Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United with the former Eswatini goalkeeper currently working as an analyst for the pay-TV channel SuperSport.
Shongwe reveals how he switched from being a left-footed in-field player to being one of the country's best goalkeepers.
"Everyone is aware that you don't just automatically decide to go in goals. You want to run around like everybody else. It's a very weird position to like.
"So even in my case, I was always an in-field player, up until I got injured. I could play left-back, central defender, I could play as a striker, I could even play wide left. So, I was more on the left flank because I had speed. I was an athlete you know.
"I hated being a goalkeeper, but because I was competitive, I had to accept everything that came my way.
"So, eventually our number one goalkeeper in my team in Eswatini got injured at work, he was an operator of this machine that had conveyor belts, and on one occasion the belts sliced all his fingers.
"So, there was no goalkeeper for that weekend. So, they started looking around for the next best thing. They said we've seen you, every time you were in goals it looked promising. So, they threw me in. This was now with the senior team. And that's how it all started."
"The hardest thing for me was conceding a goal, I hated it. I'm very competitive, I don't want to be beaten. For me, goalkeepers are not supposed to concede. They are supposed to stop everything."
Shongwe names some of his childhood heroes that inspired him while listening to live matches on the radio in the days before the TV.
"Unfortunately, we didn't have televisions to watch the South African keepers in those days in Eswatini, but the likes of Thetha Masombuka, Koos Hadebe praised Banks Sethlodi and Sparks Banda on the radio. I couldn't imagine myself anything else other than those two keepers. Those radio commentators inspired me. I imagined myself being one of those goalkeepers they were commentating about, little did I know that it will happen."
Shongwea added that German shot-stopper Manuel Neur is one international goalkeeper who he thinks is the complete package.
"I love Manuel Neuer. He is a complete goalkeeper. How he is comfortable with his feet as well, and how he finds his way almost like an in-field player.
"Locally, I can't help but appreciate my own product. My own grown and produced Ronwen Williams. I had him when he was 13 years old at SuperSport and nobody believed he could get this far because there were other goalkeepers like Sherwin Naicker, who was way ahead of Ronwen Williams. In the report that I wrote to Stan Matthews, I said this is the best thing next to Itumeleng Khune. I just saw this calm demeanour that Williams had, most times goalkeepers are the most panicking guys when in possession of the ball, but with him he reminded me of me with his calmness and quietness."
