VRYHEID born soccer star Mdeni ‘Casper’ Zikalala is flying Vryheid’s flag high in one of the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) teams, Baroka FC.
Casper started playing soccer while he was in high school, and this is where he realised that he wanted to do it as a career.
“I spent a lot of time playing soccer, both at school and when I was at home. Playing with the guys in the township is actually how I got my nickname. We all used to give each other nicknames, everyone marvelled at how well I played and I was compared to Hernan Crespo. A lot of people struggled with pronouncing Crespo, so it went from Crespo to Casper.
“I eventually just got tired of trying to correct everyone’s pronunciation and went for the name Casper,” he said with a laugh.
Things took a turn for him when AmaZulu FC’s head of development, Thami Ngubane, scouted him along with 3 other local players.
“We were then invited to attend trials in Durban where me and my late friend Ma3 made it,” Casper went on.
The two went on to play for the AmaZulu Warriors in the Vodacom League.
“Despite things having started out well, I was forced to move back home after some time as I started to feel I wasn’t going anywhere with my efforts there,” he said.
Things proved to be very difficult for Casper who went on to play for a team in Nongoma, Kings United in Hammarsdale in 2013, but he never gave up on his dream.
His faith in himself was rewarded when Kings United qualified at the play-offs that year and this is where he was discovered by Orlando Pirates.
“Orlando Pirates then signed me up with Baroka FC and that is how I got to where I am today,” Casper said.
Raised by a single mother who hated him playing soccer, especially on Sundays, when he should have gone along with her to church, Casper and his mother Rosta Zikalala now laugh when talking about how far they have come.
“I encourage young people from my home town to always seek to become better versions of themselves. Leave your comfort-zones and do not be afraid to struggle. I travelled to many places alone trying to find a platform to showcase my talent and although it wasn’t easy, I look back now and am always glad I did,” he said in conclusion.
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