Most of the time if you are the offspring of a former exceptional footballer, the pressure automatically weighs heavy on your shoulders as supporters often compare you with your parent.
This is the reality that Kaizer Chiefs’ Samkelo Zwane faces as his father, Eugene, was a midfield kingpin in his heydays for Orlando Pirates in the 90s.
Zwane Senior recalls a time when he was confronted by a Chiefs supporter, who was not impressed with Samkelo’s performance, and these are such things that as a father and an ex-footballer, he cannot stop from happening.
READ: New Kaizer Chiefs boss will need patience to succeed, says Bobby Motaung
"You can't grant that protection, it is rough out there. People will say what they have to say."
“I was at the stadium the other day, Sundowns had just beaten Chiefs and one of the goals came from a tackle he had missed, and this supporter was like, “Ntwana ya gago e re jesitse (your son cost us the game),” and I was like, “Ke kena kae nna (how’s that my problem)”.
“Besides, he just missed a tackle, it is not like he scored an own goal or anything.
“But such is the temperament of football supporters, it is an emotional game, and people will say what they have to say at that time but it is because of the love and passion for their club, it is not personal.
Zwane Junior broke into Amakhosi’s senior team in the 2022/23 DStv Premiership campaign where he made a dozen appearances.
However, he was less involved in the previous season as he featured seven times in the league and it was evident that he had fallen down in the pecking order.
Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Yusuf Maart, and Edson Castillo were all preferred ahead of the 22-year-old.
His father is hoping that new head coach Nasreddine Nabi will give Samkelo a chance to showcase his talent this coming season as the club are going through a transition period after appointing the Tunisian with his own technical team – something Chiefs have never done before.
“It does look like there is some positivity developing into that but I don’t want to get too excited. We are going to see from team selection and from his performances.
“All that I am hoping for is that he gets given a chance to play,” Zwane told members of the media on the sidelines of Stanley Tshabalala’s funeral.
“When he gets the opportunity to play, he performs consistently. We do know that he’s got the potential. All that remains is for him to be given a chance to fulfill that potential,” he added.
In his pep talk about patience, Zwane Senior referred to a couple of players who had a slow start in their careers but went on to become megastars in Mzansi football.
While that may not be everyone’s fate, given that some players have moved completely off the radar whilst waiting patiently for their turn – the former Pirates star believes his son will get his big break.
“The two most prominent examples of players who he can relate to are Teko Modise and Themba Zwane. When they broke out in the professional ranks, they were not starters, they even get loaned to other teams.
“But they came back and look at where they are now. They are two of the most consistent performers of the last decade or so and two of the best players we have seen in this country.
But when they started they struggled a little bit and sometimes it is not because they did not work hard or show potential, but there were players at the time who were performing and the coach preferred to play.
“There are a lot of dynamics in football. Sometimes you just have to accept that it is not your time, you need to keep working hard,” explained Zwane.
Legendary Eugene Zwane, the father of Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Samkelo, is hoping that his son will finally get an opportunity at Kaizer Chiefs under new coach Nasreddine Nabi. pic.twitter.com/eaA5i0WHCU
— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) July 19, 2024
