Do we know how to judge football talent in South Africa? And more importantly; do the coaches know?
This is an important question that needs to be asked after Siyabonga Ngezana played an important role in helping FCSB win the Romanian league title this season.
While he was at Kaizer Chiefs, the club and their fans did not know what they had on their hands. The player was regularly criticised and labelled a “cow” in what must have been a very stressful time for him.
Under the leadership of Arthur Zwane, Ngezana bore the brunt of the supporters’ dissatisfaction. Chiefs were enduring a difficult run of form, and in such times, it is often defenders who suffer the most in the court of public opinion.
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Every mistake, however minor, was magnified. Every misstep became evidence for the prosecution. And when Ngezana was sold at the end of the 2022/2023 season, many Chiefs fans breathed a sigh of relief, wrongly convinced that the problem had been solved.
But football has a funny way of revealing truths with time.
Romanian giants FCSB, unlike many in South Africa, saw his real worth. They recognised his physicality, positional intelligence, and calmness under pressure — traits often missed by vuvuzela-waving, opiniated fans with fast fingers on social media platforms like X.
Since his arrival in Eastern Europe, Ngezana has become an important player to the club’s cause, showcasing reliability, leadership, composure, and a growing maturity in his role as a centreback. He’s even convinced Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos that he’s a regular started at international level.
His performances were so compelling that they drew the attention of Manchester United boss Rúben Amorim ahead of FCSB’s Europa League clash against the Premier League giants, marking a remarkable turnaround for a player once dismissed as a “cow” by local fans.
This raises uncomfortable but necessary questions about the system of talent identification and development in South African football. How many more Siyabonga Ngezanas are slipping through the cracks? How many players are being written off prematurely because of poor coaching, impatience from fans, or a lack of holistic development structures?
Ngezana’s story is proof that we sometimes fail our own players. It demands introspection from clubs, coaches, scouts, and fans alike. Talent alone is not enough; the environment, support structures, and understanding of the game must evolve if South African football is to truly harness its immense potential.
Sport
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of or Independent Media.
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