In this edition of My First, KickOff speaks to former Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows winger Lucas Sebona.
The Middelburg-born former footballer shares some personal insights about his life.
My First School:
"I attended Mhluzi Primary School in Mhluzi. I was seven years old at the time. On my first day, I was so scared to an extent that when we reached the school gate, I dodged my sister, who was taking me to school, and quickly ran back home. Just thinking about the stories I had heard about teachers beating misbehaving children terrified me [laughs]."
My First Kiss:
"Growing up, I wasn’t really into girls. I only got my first kiss when I was in high school. To be honest, it was mostly due to the pressure from my former teammates. Back then, if one of us wanted to see his girlfriend, we all went along. There were about 18 of us in our group, and we weren’t gangsters—just teammates. That’s how I ended up dating; I was just following what everyone else was doing. I was 15 years old at the time, living the street life."
My First Soccer Boots:
"My first pair of soccer boots were called Gary Bailey, named after the goalkeeper from Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United. I got them from one of my former club bosses. Soon after, I played in adidas Argentina soccer boots. Honestly, I wasn’t much into soccer boots. I remember at one stage, I even played in rugby boots."
My First PSL Match:
"It was in 1995, during a BobSave SuperBowl match at Ellis Park Stadium. It was terrifying for me to find myself playing alongside the very players I had worshipped just the week before. Back then, Kaizer Chiefs still had stalwarts like Ntsie Maphike, Gardner Seale, and Neil Tovey, while Swallows had players like Andries Mpondo, Joseph Rapelego, and Sipho Sikhonde."
My First Red Card:
"I received my first red card against Kaizer Chiefs in Rustenburg. Fabian McCarthy hit me with his elbow, and I lost my breath for a few seconds. When I got up, I threw a huge right hook, and he went down. The referee sent me off for an early shower. I was causing Chiefs problems that day on the pitch, which led them to resort to dirty tricks and mind games. The match was even live on TV, and we lost."
My First Goal in the PSL:
"I wouldn’t necessarily call it my first goal, but the one that stands out in my memory is the stunning strike I scored against Real Rovers, which confirmed their relegation to the national first division."
My First Individual Award:
"I achieved individual awards quite late in my football career, during the 2002 and 2003 season. I can’t recall which was the first, but I received most of them against teams like Umtata Bucks and Jomo Cosmos. There was one year when I won almost everything at the Swallows end-of-season awards."
My First Trophy with a Club:
"I won the Telkom Knockout with Mamelodi Sundowns. You can’t describe the feeling of being a champion."
My First Car:
"It was a Toyota Corolla. I bought it for R30 000. My elder brother couldn't help laughing, he used a spoon to open its door. I quickly returned it and bought myself a Toyota Conquest. I was still at Swallows."
My First Signing-On Fee:
"I got it at Swallows, it was R120 000. I was very smart when it came to finances. I remember I owned three houses in Joburg. I was debt-free when I joined Sundowns."
