In this edition of Story Behind My Nickname, ex-AmaZulu FC and Bafana Bafana striker George Dearnaley shares how he received the nickname 'Madlinyoka', which means snake eater in IsiZulu.
Your nickname, Madlinyoka, how did you get it?
"I have three nicknames, and the one from AmaZulu is Madlinyoka, but it's not related to my dribbling style. One day after a training session, Junior Njiyela introduced me to the chairmen of the club's supporters branches because they wanted to speak to me.
"So, I walked to the other side of the training field. Back in 1992 at AmaZulu FC, on Friday nights we often had many supporters watching our training sessions, especially after work. That day, we had a large turnout of supporters at the back of King's Park Stadium before they would catch trains to places like KwaMashu.
"Sometimes, we would have around five hundred supporters watching Friday night training, and players were buzzing because of the crowd.
"When I walked over to Junior, I was introduced to the chairmen of the supporters, and after we greeted, they mentioned it was time for me to have a nickname at AmaZulu.
"They presented me with three options, and I couldn’t help but laugh. The first option was 'Golden Boy'. I said, 'What? Golden Boy? No way! I would be a laughing stock among my friends.' I knew they'd tease me mercilessly.
"The second option was the Zulu word 'Zuma,' which means an ambush or surprise attack. They explained it was because of how I used to score my goals—sneaking up behind defenders to win a header at the back post.
"The third option was Madlinyoka. Since I knew that 'nyoka' means snake, I asked, 'What about the snake?' They explained that all the teams we faced were like snakes, and I was there to 'eat' them. So, I wasn't literally eating snakes; instead, I was defeating the opposing teams."
Did you like the nickname at first?
"I appreciated that the AmaZulu supporters recognized me and thought I deserved a nickname. After my injury, I was also called 'Three Caps,' especially when I was working at KickOff Magazine. The joke was that I had only earned three caps. When I played for Seven Stars, my celebration involved mimicking a shark because I’m from Durban, and that led to supporters calling me 'The Shark.'"
How important is a nickname for a footballer?
"I think it’s a cool thing for a player to have a nickname, but it’s not the most important aspect. What’s unfortunate is seeing many white players referred to as 'Mlungu.' That's not a nickname. A proper nickname should be relevant to your football style and performance."
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