TBT: Nkosinathi Nhleko
In this week’s instalment of Throwback Thursday, former Jomo Cosmos forward Nkosinathi Nhleko talks about a striker coach Jomo Sono signed from Nigeria who never lived up to expectations.
Nkosinathi Nhleko celebrates his goal during the Absa Premiership match between Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs from Newlands Stadium on 04 October 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images
Sono is well-known for signing unknown players from across the African continent and turning them into stars, like Anthony Laffor and Christopher Katongo. This time Bra J – as the South African football legend is affectionately known in football circles – had cast his net to Nigeria to sign a striker named Muhammad Muhammad.
“Bra J was telling me, Benjani Mwaruwari, Tiko Tiko and the entire team, that ‘guys, I’m bringing in a good striker, and Chippa (Phil Masinga) will start to sit on the bench now’,” explained Nhleko.
“So when the player arrived he was picked up from the airport by the late Linda Langa and he brought him straight to the training.
“This was the first time we had seen someone polish their soccer boots, his soccer boots were shining. Jomo introduced him to us and he told us, ‘guys look at your boots and look at his, he is professional’.
“We trained with him and J complained that we don’t pass the ball to the new guy enough, so we continued training and game day came. Benji (Benjani Mwaruwari) started the game and I was on the bench.
“During the game J turned to us and said, ‘Linda I think I we got the wrong striker, I am not happy with what we bought. ‘Bafana bakithi I thought I was buying a player, but we bought the VHS cassette. The tape they sent lied’.
“Bra J felt cheated and said he will sell the player to another club to recover the money he spent.”
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