Nkosinathi Sibisi: from humble beginnings to World Cup dreams with Bafana Bafana

NO, it's not chalk and cheese.

Nkosinathi Sibisi chuckles as he responds to a question about whether he ever imagined himself playing at the FifaWorld Cup way back in 2010 when South Africa hosted the global event.

“At that time, I was just playing football for the sake of playing,” the Bafana Bafana defender, who was a 15-year-old boy in his township of Mpophomeni in Umngeni, KwaZulu-Natal, says during our interview at The Ranch Resort in Polokwane.

It is the day after South Africa’s senior national team had beaten Lesotho 2-0 to go top of World Cup qualifying Group C, and the potential of testing himself against some of the best players in the world on the sport’s biggest stage is slowly becoming a reality for the Orlando Pirates player.

“But now, it is... ja, a dream that can happen – why not?

"Remember, no one gave us a chance at AFCON, but we managed to finish third. And now, as a group (squad), we understand each other, and that is very important for such games (qualifiers). The harmony we have, you can’t fake it.”

Back in 2010, Sibisi remembers how his township went awfully quiet during matches. He’d have sworn everyone had left, only for the silence to be broken by the cheering when a goal was scored.

“My flashbacks of 2010? I remember watching with my friends, and we would go outside.

"When the games were still on, there would be no one out there, literally no one. But when a goal was scored, you would hear everyone shouting, literally everyone. And for us to qualify for this coming World Cup, it would be huge, very huge – for everyone, the upcoming ones and for us.”

Such are the rewards for talented individuals who work hard and are not discouraged, even when things do not go their way, that Sibisi is a sure bet to go to the World Cup should South Africa qualify. He has become such an integral part of Hugo Broos’ team that, even when he was struggling to make the team at club level, the silver-haired Belgian coach kept faith in him.

“It’s been quite a journey with the coach, and I’d like to thank him for the support he has shown me and the belief he had in me for the months when I had not been playing and he had been calling me up. For me, it was just to repay him and try to produce the results and help the team as much as I can, whether it is on the field or off it, I give my best,” he says, the sincerity in his voice unmistakable.

The chalk and cheese analogy comes through so vividly here, as the Sibisi off the field is a different beast on it.

In matches, he is a tough-as-nails defender who is uncompromising in the tackle and a superb reader of the game. He is a striker’s nightmare. Off it, he is a softie who exudes humility and respect.

“I was brought up by my grandmother,” he glows, as the memories of his childhood clearly flood back.

“My mother was there, but my father wasn’t that present. I was gogo’s child. I stayed with gogo. We all know what happens when you stay with gogo …”

South African grandmothers are renowned for being disciplinarians, and Sibisi’s one fits the mould perfectly. He looks back at it and says it is what has helped make him the player he is now.

“It helps (now), yes. The first thing you get from your grandmother is respect. Respect for others, respect for elders, respect in general – just respect.

"And it has a way of coming back to you, just like karma. You do one thing, and it will come back to you. Consequences!

“For me, it was just that – respect for gogo. Every Sunday, it was always church, but for me as a young boy, I’d run out with my boots to go play. But when I came back, I knew I’d get a beating, and that taught me lessons. And now I know, respect the game and it will respect you.”

His recent struggles, which saw him watching from the sidelines at club level, were tough, but they did not destroy him because of his grounding.

“You know, for me, I think my mentality is one of my biggest strengths. I don’t let hiccups bring me down. So, I try as much as possible to focus on the positives and leave out the negatives.

"I have not had enough game time from the previous year, and for me, during that time, it was just to focus and keep doing what I’ve been doing, which is what got me here. And I think what has helped and played a huge role is that I have a huge supportive structure at home.

"Because whenever I am feeling down, I can always call them and seek advice, because I think they know best. For me, it was just to keep on pushing. I am glad that the results are coming.”

Those results could well see him playing on football’s grandest stage – something he did not even consider a decade and a half ago when he watched Siphiwe Tshabalala score that tournament-opening goal against Mexico at a packed FNB Stadium.

Chalk and cheese, as he says – but Nkosinathi Sibisi is living proof that everything is possible if you work at it and are disciplined and strong enough not to let setbacks discourage you.