Sometimes you’ve just got to get out of your comfort zone and look at things from the outside in, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find your mojo.
That’s the case for Ayabulela Konqobe, Darren Smith and Bantu Mzwakali, all of them are from right here in eKapa.
In fact, many of you reading this have seen them grow and make waves on the local scene as promising young prospects.
Strange enough, the trio were all at Ikamva on the books of Ajax Cape Town, but for whatever reason, their careers have not taken off as was expected.
Bantu Mzwakali is the oldest of the three players at 26, but the attacking midfielder from Gugulethu is already in his seventh season as a professional.
After breaking into the first team as a top-rated youngster, he was the subject of many transfer rumours. And from my personal interaction with him, his head was turned by the money he would earn in a move to Gauteng.
Now we all know Ajax don’t pay well, so who can blame a youngster for being tempted.
His whole situation was not handled properly, however, and his performance reflected a man that was not happy and even ended up changing agents.
His dip in form coincided with the Urban Warriors’ struggles, which ended up getting them relegated.
Chippa United came knocking but there wasn’t much of an improvement and before he was even properly settled in PE, an even bigger club, namely Wits, came for him.
It didn’t quite happen for him at the star-studded Clever Boys and things went downhill from there as he was among the players that were released at the start of this season and he ended up being clubless following a short stint at Cape Umoya United.
PROSPECTS: Bantu Mzwakali. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
Mzwakali will now play for IK Brage in the Swedish second division. Maybe there away from the comfort of home he might find his spark again.
And then there is classy centreback Ayabulela Konqobe, who counts the country’s most accomplished national coach, Shakes Mashaba, as one of his admirers.
Mashaba, who has an unmatched record in charge of the SA youth and senior teams, had Aya as one of three youth players invited to Bafana Bafana camps to gain experience.
The three youngsters were still U17 and U20 national players at the time, so the idea was for them to see their future and mix with senior players to prepare them for the step up.
The other two players were another Capetonian Fagrie Lakay and goalkeeper Dumisani Msibi.
Interestingly, none of them have made the lived up to as per plan but they were seen as the country’s future key players by Mashaba.
Konqobe has a very involved father who believes the sun shines on him.
That’s no criticism because every parent should back their children in whatever they do.
NOT FINISHED: Darren Smith. Picture: Supplied.
Sometimes, however as parents, we can be too involved and it affects the kids in a negative way because maybe they know we’ll always stand up for them even when they are in the wrong.
I mean, how do you explain a 24-year-old with a fine future ending up being cut by six of the seven clubs he has played for in the six seasons he has been a professional?
The Gugs-born centreback has signed for Ekenäs IF, who campaign in Finland’s second division. Maybe he too will refresh away from whatever distractions have caused his career to go left instead of right.
He will be joined by striker Darren Smith at Ekenäs.
Smith was with Konqobe at SuperSport United after leaving Ajax some years ago, but things didn’t happen for him in Pretoria and things slowed down for him.
He didn’t get to Konqobe and Mzwakali’s level in professional football, but maybe this experience could boost the 23-year-old to push on.