TBT: Mandla Zwane
In this week’s instalment of Throwback Thursday, former Orlando Pirates forward Mandla Zwane talks about his move to FC Porto in 1994 and recalls how his struggle with the Portuguese language made him a laughing stock one day.
SuperSport Mandla Zwane during the PSL match between Silver Stars 0 and Supersport United 1 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa. Photo Credit: © Lefty Shivambu Gallo Images
Zwane says when he arrived in Portugal he was given a warm welcome by his teammates but he still had to go through an initiation.
“I was happy with my move and the coach understood me and it looked good. Everything was going well. I had a bit of a problem with the language because I had been there for a week or so,” Zwane told Phakaaathi.
“My teammates spoke to each other first, I couldn’t hear them because of the language barrier. Then they told me the coach wanted to see me, but they said he wasn’t in his office but was on the other side of the training camp in a different office.
“I innocently walked up the steps unsuspecting and the bucket of cold water dropped on my head and my teammates laughed, they set me up. I walked away I was fine. They were scared, they thought I would go and report them. They asked if I was okay later I think they felt bad because they came to my room to ask if I was okay and if was angry. Then some apologised but I told them it was unnecessary it was a joke.”
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