In the latest edition of Story Behind My Nickname, KickOff catches up with former Orlando Pirates fan-favourite Edward Motale on the origin behind his nickname "Magents".
Fill us in on your playing history
"From the beginning, Magents was just simple Edward, my background was fine, it was just a normal life we lived every day.
"I played school football in Mamelodi, I then graduated to Arcadia Shepherds and Berea Park.
"That's where I was spotted. Jomo Sono saw me in tournaments.
"I was a midfielder back then, before Jomo transformed me into a defender. I won a league title and Bob Save Super Bowl with Jomo Cosmos. I also won the league and CAF Champions League with Orlando Pirates."
What's your nickname?
"Magents"
Who gave it to you and why?
"It was given to me by the Pirates supporters, though I don't know why. Maybe because of my dress sense or style of play. Because I have never changed my style of play, that's why I refused when Viktor Bondarenko tried to change me. He wanted me to play textbook football, and I told him to forget it.
"I first heard about the nickname in the Iwisa Maize Meal Charity Spectacular. That's how it started. I don't even know who came up with that concept. The name stuck with me ever since."
Did you like it?
"I couldn't dispute what people thought was the right nickname for me. I'm sure they had noticed something."
Anyone that didn't use it?
"Since the name Magents popped up, I even forgot my real name. Everybody even young and old call me Magents, even at home my children, siblings, and parents call me Magents, and I never had a problem."
If you could relive it, what would you want your nickname to be?
"To be honest I'm not a nickname person, even this one of Magents I only accepted it because the supporters gave it to me.
"At Cosmos, I didn't have a nickname I only had one after joining Pirates. I don't think there's something special about nicknames, it's just your fake name.
"Lot of people played without nicknames, and they were successful. Sometimes people give you a nickname because you remind them of somebody else.
"Sometimes they will call you Pele, but that doesn't you are Pele."
Who should we ask for their nickname story?
"Aubrey Lekwane. Ask him about his nickname Sense of Knowledge."