Lebogang Manyama of Kaizer Chiefs during the Kaizer Chiefs Media Open Day at Chiefs Village. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)
Manyama spent less than a year at Konyaspor in Turkey before returning home and joining Amakhosi.
Manyama said it would have been better had he left when he was younger. “We don’t go there early enough,” he said when asked what he felt was the cause of his early return.
“The clubs in Europe integrate players into their teams at an early age. I went at 27 and I wish I had gone earlier. Bongani Zungu and Keagan Dolly went early and they are doing well. I think Percy (Tau) will also do well because he went there early,” he explained.
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He said he doesn’t take his experience in Turkey as failure but as a learning curve. “I don’t even think about it. I always try to make success of everything and if it doesn’t work out I will try again some other time.
“We had three coaches in one season. The coach who brought me there played me in a couple of games and I felt I did well. The second coach came and didn’t play me at all. With the third coach there was no option because I had not been registered.
“I wanted to play football, never mind the money and playing in Europe if you are not enjoying yourself there is no point,” he added.
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Manyama also had some words of advice for Amakhosi veteran Siphiwe Tshabalala who recently joined Turkish side Ezrurumspor.
“I told Shabba that he must enjoy himself, enjoy the moment for as long as he is there… The people are very nice especially when you do well but they can turn on you at any moment. But Shabba is very experienced and humble guy and I believe he will make a success of it,” he said.
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