Masizakhe Myataza and his TS Galaxy teammates might be going to the Nedbank Cup final against Kaizer Chiefs as underdogs but the Langa shot-stopper says people shouldn’t be surprised if they pull off a win at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at the weekend.
Myataza knows all eyes will be on Kaizer Chiefs but says he wants the victory more than the Soweto giants for his community.
He says lifting the Nedbank Cup would inspire the youngsters back home.
Still only 23, Myataza says he knows that even just sharing a pitch with Kaizer Chiefs is an achievement for him and a host of other players seeking to make their mark in South African football.
“I’m trying to be a positive influence to other youngsters who come from the same background as me.
“They must know that it doesn’t matter where you come from, with hard work anything is possible.
“I think it’s a blessing growing up in the township because it makes you push more in life and be a positive change in the community.
“We all have gifts, talents and abilities and if we just believe in ourselves and continue developing ourselves we can rise up out of any situation.” he says.
Myataza joined Mpumalanga-based TS Galaxy from another PSL team, Chippa United at the start of the 2018/19 season. He originally joined Galaxy on a six-month loan and went on to sign two more years. Before Chippa he was part of the Santos development side, FC Cape Town and Cape Town City.
Myataza was also part of the South African squad which took part in the Homeless Street World Cup in the Netherlands in 2015.
Myataza made his full debut in the NFD on Sunday May 5 and has kept a clean sheet.
Before that he had been brought on as a substitute on two occasions this season.
Although not a first choice keeper for his side, he will be hoping that the coaching staff recognises his good performance in their last match. Myataza’s dream, however, doesn’t end with the Nedbank Cup. He says he still has lots of work to do as he aims to one day don the national team colors.
With Dan Malesela as his coach, Myataza feels he is on the right track in his football career.
He hopes the kind of progress he is making inspires township children to keep working on their dreams.
The Nedbank Cup has over the years developed a reputation for being the “underdog’s tournament”.
The likes of Baroka FC, for instance, have made a name for themselves in this tournament. In 2011, when they were still playing in the lower leagues, they shocked the whole country by kicking Kaizer Chiefs out of the competition.
So, the side from the Mpumalanga Province will be banking on that history when they enter Moses Mabhida Stadium come Saturday night.
Having said that, however, Myataza and his teammates are also aware that they have to work extra hard if they want to win the country’s premier knockout competition.
They are, after all, up against the Kaizer Chiefs side that goes to the match as the proverbial wounded lions.
As the country’s biggest and most successful team, Chiefs finished this season in an unfamiliar ninth position, so the Nedbank Cup is their only chance of earning their first silverware since 2015.
