In this edition of My First, former Black Leopards man Humphrey Khoza recalls an encounter with a PSL referee whose memory still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.
Khoza, born in Mpumalanga, is on the verge of returning to pro football following his ABC Motsepe League side The Bees FC winning against second-placed Middelburg United at Themba Senamela Stadium in Mhluzi on Sunday.
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My First School:
"I attended Somcuba Primary School in Mbombela, near Msogwaba. I don’t remember my first day very well, but I was surely scared. It was all a new experience for me."
My First Kiss:
"I had my first kiss in primary school while I was in Standard 3. She was my girlfriend."
My First Child:
"I was 20 years old when my first child was born. At that time, I was playing for Witbank Spurs and had just signed my first professional contract in 2009."
My First Favourite Club:
"My first favourite club was Orlando Pirates. I supported the team along with my whole family."
My First Soccer Boots:
"My first pair of soccer boots were Adidas Argentina, which my brother bought for me. I think I was around 16 years old at the time."
My First Red Card:
"I was playing for Black Leopards against Bloemfontein Celtic in 2012. It still pains me to think about it because I don’t understand what I did wrong to deserve it, especially since I was the one injured. I was lying on the pitch in pain when I was told to leave so the match could continue.
"As I limped toward the touchline, the referee gave me a red card for 'refusing to get on the stretcher'. He accused me of calling for a stretcher and then ignoring it. I was unaware that the stretcher was comingI just walked off the pitch because the team doctor was taking too long."
My First Own Goal:
"I don’t remember scoring an own goal. I believe that own goals happen to people with bad luck, or those in need of some kind of cleansing."
My First Goal:
"I can’t recall my very first goal, but I did score a few in my professional career. I remember scoring two goals for Leopards against FC (Saint-Eloi) Lupopo from the DRC in a CAF match. I scored both goals in the first half with my head."
My First Individual Award:
"I received many awards in my first season in the PSL. However, the one I’m most proud of is the one I earned while playing against Kaizer Chiefs. Leopards won that game 1-0, and the goal was scored by David Zulu."
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My First Trophy With A Club:
"I don’t have any trophies. It just never happened for the teams I played for."
My First Car:
"I bought my first car around 2012 or 2013 while I was playing for Leopards. The car cost R375 000, but I paid it off in instalments. I made a R35 000 deposit."