Seasoned soccer star pays it forward
The 34-year-old stumbled upon his passion when those around him realised a natural talent in him growing up.
TALENT got Luyanda Hlongwa on the pitch but it was effort and attitude that took him further into an illustrious professional soccer career.
The 34-year-old stumbled upon his passion when those around him realised a natural talent in him growing up. In Grade 11 when he attended Rossburgh High School he joined the Nathi Lions FC, opening the door to his professional career.
“I realised that this thing started to get serious, I was getting game time, gaining people’s support and getting paid a salary. I wasn’t really clued up on a lot of things back then but things were moving. I even bought my first car in matric.”
After high school he went on to Mangosuthu University to study quantity surveying but continued playing, juggling his academics and passion. There he was approached by various teams before getting an offer to play for Durban FC. Towards the end of his studies, he got an opportunity to play for Platinum Stars in 2009.
“I found myself having to decide whether to carry on studying or go pro. It boiled down to me realising that I’m studying to make money anyway and here is an opportunity to do what I love and while I make money. For me, there is no such thing as falling back on something. Your success depends on your state of mind. The decision was a no brainer and so I left school.”
He became a full-time professional player who went on to play for many well-known South African clubs including Bloemfontein Celtics, Free State Stars, AmaZulu FC and Polokwane City.
One of his most memorable career highlights was getting a collaboration with the second stream of Bafana Bafana.
“That was a big deal for me because it set the tone that whether I play for the national team or not, but I’m still a good player. My other highlight was playing with Benni McCarthy because I used to watch him play and I looked up to him. I also played with Siyabonga Nomvethe for two seasons who is a South African legend. Soccer exposes you to a lot of things. But sometimes as you grow, you realise that what you wanted for yourself is not good for you,” said the Bluff resident.
Hlongwa started as a striker and a winger but developed and became a versatile player who could take on various other positions. During his career, 2015 was a particularly difficult year for the skilled player as he found himself without a club due to internal club politics. However, he went back to AmaZulu FC where he played from 2016 to 2019. In 2020 he got an offer to play overseas which fell through just before Covid-19 hit.
“I had played soccer for so many years and felt like I had no point to prove. During lockdown I had a lot of thinking and began pursuing different ways to make money as well as use my love for soccer to help transform the lives of other young boys,” he said adding that he learnt first-hand how the business of agents kills the essence of soccer.
A key life lesson he picked from his career and still applies to his everyday life is consistency.
“You need to be consistent in everything you put your mind to. In my entire career, I was never late or absent for training or a game. I didn’t make excuses because I was driven and dedicated. I’m consistent in everything I do.”
With a wealth of experience, Hlongwa now plans to give back to local communities through a soccer training TV project which will help develop young players.
“It will be a sports channel which will showcase youth development in a holistic approach with a focus on sports, particularly soccer. Many local leagues are not televised. Now if those young players were to see themselves on TV, I believe they would be more motivated to do more. This platform will also help those looking to scout local talent have better access to talented players from various areas. I think this will also help players who dream of taking their talent further to go play abroad,” said an excited Hlongwa who will be launching the project towards the end of the year.
