In this edition of My First, KickOff catches up with former Buccaneer Tonic Chabalala to discuss some of his early experiences in life.
My First School:
"I attended Langutani Primary School in Xitlhelani, Malamulele, which is where I am originally from. I was quite young at the time, and my family was not well off. Our situation at home was challenging."
My First Kiss:
"[Laughs] I don't remember it very well. As a child, I didn't know much about those things, but I'm sure my first kiss came from one of the girls I used to call my girlfriends, even though they weren't aware we were 'dating' [laughs]."
My First Favourite Club:
"I was a Kaizer Chiefs supporter until I joined Dynamos at the professional level. Competing against players like Tsiki-Tsiki and Tinashe Nengomasha made me realize that I was now at their level, so I couldn't support the team I was competing against. From that day, I decided to support the team that pays my salary."
My First Soccer Boots:
"My first soccer boots were Puma Kings with removable studs. I remember playing in them on a gravel pitch. I got them from a friend who was already playing professionally at the time. I think I was around 15 or 16 years old."
My First Goal:
"Unfortunately, I never scored a goal in professional football. As a defender, I was too focused on my primary duties, which were defending. I do remember one instance while playing for Pirates when I thought I had scored a header against SuperSport United. I celebrated, only to realize that the ball hadn't crossed the line."
My First Red Card:
"My only red card came in the Absa Cup final against Kaizer Chiefs. We were awarded a corner kick, and Gift Leremi and I stayed back to defend while everyone else went forward. The striker Louis Agyemang was the only Chiefs player left with us at the halfway line. I suggested to Gift that we both stay with him to create a 2-on-1 situation. Unfortunately, Gift didn't listen, and after the corner kick was cleared, the ball fell to Agyemang, creating a one-on-one situation. I decided to commit a professional foul to prevent him from scoring. That's how I received my first red card in professional football, and we ended up losing the game in penalty shootouts. Siyabonga Nomvethe and Collins Chabalala were our strikers."
My First Individual Award:
"My first Man of the Match award came in a match against Chiefs. I remember feeling robbed during my time at Pirates. There was one season when I should have been named Pirates' Player of the Season, but the votes were manipulated, and the award went to Benedict 'Tso' Vilakazi instead, simply because he had been with the club longer. The late Zodwa Khoza revealed to me that I actually had more votes Vilakazi. She said, 'I can't understand why you didn't win the Player of the Season award because, the last time I checked, you were leading in votes.' I told her it was fine."
My First Trophy With A Club:
"I only won trophies like pre-season tournaments, such as the Vodacom Challenge. The reason I couldn't win a trophy at Pirates was that, despite having a young and energetic team, we lacked the necessary experience. I still remember leading the log table by 17 points, but by the end of the season, it was Chiefs who were crowned champions.
"In the following season, we finished with the same number of points as Mamelodi Sundowns but lost out on goal difference. Experience plays a crucial role toward the end of the season. The captain, Papi Khomane, and Edelbert Dinha were the only experienced players we had, but unfortunately, the younger players didn't listen to Papi."
My First Car:
"My first car was a Golf 4 GTI. That car had power! At the time, I wasn't yet perfect at driving."