In this edition of Locker Room Secrets, KickOff speaks to retired former Jomo Cosmos player Sibusiso Mhlongo.
At Cosmos, who was always late?
"Yho, I've played with so many latecomers, but Lovers Mohlala took the cup when it comes to late-coming. He and Sammy Magalefa.
"They also both gave the same excuse, 'My car broke', or, 'I was stopped by traffic officers and I had to buy my way out' [laughs]."
Any ritual before you played every match?
"Mine was prayer. Nothing beats prayer. You can do whatever ritual, but in the end, we all pray [laughs]."
Who was the jokester?
"Innocent Ntsume and Sibusiso Zwane. Those two were always up to no good [laughs]. They made fun of anyone and everyone, they didn't care how old you were."
Was it a muti change room?
"Yeah. Isigalagala was a regular thing. Our team manager, Khwezi Masondo, was in charge of that department. Out of the blue, he would just scream: 'Car Wash!' [laughs] and we all knew by that he meant it was time to bath in muti.
"Refusing to go to the 'car wash' meant you were out of the 18-man squad. You don't play. If ZCC members and white people had no problem with the car wash, then who was I to refuse it? [Laughs]."
Who was the singer?
"Magalefa's voice was angelic. Most of the guys were just focused on getting game-time, they didn't even partake in the singing [laughs], unlike what we see today where everyone joins in the singing."
Who was the best-dressed?
"Dikgang Mabalane, 'Terminator'. He was something else. Those were the days of Amabhujwa. He was one of them [laughs]."
And the worst-dressed?
"There was plenty of them, to be honest [laughs]. Innocent Ntsume was their number one. He was always in his club tracksuits. Those days, remember in football every player keeps his tracksuits at home. If the club didn't give you a tracksuit, then it meant you were still far from making the team.
"If you asked the team manager for a tracksuit, sometimes the response would be, 'Ufuna i tracksuit yokwenzani ngoba you are still far from making the 18-man team?' [Laughs] Eish, football sometimes. You can easily finish the season without a tracksuit."
Who never showered?
"Patrick Tshisikhawe. Sometimes we would train at public parks where there was no shower [laughs]."
Which coach gave the best team talk?
"Jomo Sono. When we were about to play in big matches, he never forgot those who did the job for him in the previous matches."
