‘Mshishi’ the engine that gets Sundowns going

Giving players nicknames has always been the norm in South African football, and of late, the singing and chanting of a footballer has become part and parcel of fans cheering on their favourite player.

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Themba Zwane, commonly known as “Mshishi” in football circles, is one such player who enjoys the privileges of supporters coining a song for him.

While fans are the biggest cheerleaders, Zwane has his own teammates singing his praises in the dressing room, his coach, Rulani Mokwena – another “Mshishi” cheerleader – has revealed.

Speaking to Masandawana Fan Vlog, the Downs mentor likens Zwane’s importance to Sundowns to that of Lionel Messi when he was still at Spanish giants FC Barcelona. 

“Mshishi” is the only player in the changing room that has the players singing a song in his name: “Iyhoo-yhoo Themba Zwane! Iyhoo Themba Zwane”. What does that say to you about his importance in the change room? When you see that the going gets tough, he takes it as his responsibility to try and pick the team up,” said Mokwena.

“The players themselves feel that he is the guy who makes things happen. Barcelona felt the same about Lionel Messi. Messi never said ‘I’m the most important player’, but because he had that presence in the changing room, he was able to develop his personality and profile into being so important in the teams’ offensive scheme,” he added.

Having been at Downs for about 10 seasons, although he spent the infant years of his Sundowns career out on loan, Zwane has somewhat become the paper that Mokwena and co-head coach Manqoba Mngqithi write their starting line-up on. But Mokwena reckons that a lot of pressure has been piled on “Mshishi”, with some suggesting that his time on the pitch has to be limited.

“It is a little bit unfair to place that responsibility on “Mshishi” because you put the spotlight on him. He is a top football player and he is an incredible human being and sometimes I think we are quick to make certain judgements without knowing the influence that the person has on the team,” said the Downs mentor.