Black Leopards captain Thendo Mukumela has revealed how former Bafana Bafana shot stopper Simon Gopane made it easy for him to shift from being an on-field player to a temporary goalkeeper.
Mukumela was forced to play as a goalkeeper for Black Leopards in their first four matches of the Motsepe Foundation Championship season.
This is after the club has faced challenges in registering newly signed players. In the four games that Mukumela played in, he conceded seven goals.
However, the former Mamelodi Sundowns player has given credit to Leopards goalkeeper coach for making the temporary transition easier.
THENDO MULUMELA HAILS EX-BAFANA BAFANA GOALKEEPERS’ IMPACT
“He was very much helpful. He is a very patient man, and he believed in me,” Mukumela told FARPost.
“So I think that also helped me, and he also went through the faces with me. We started slow, adjusting, going bac,k and I was almost as good as some ABC Motsepe League goalkeepers.
“So I think his influence was massive. It was also easy to learn because he also played professionally for Bafana Bafana, and that helped a lot,” he added.
WHY BLACK LEOPARDS’ CAPTAIN BELIEVES HIS PERFORMANCES AS A KEEPER COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
The former SA junior international captain says he could have kept a few clean sheets in some of the matches he played.
“I think I should have [kept clean sheets]. But knowing our goalkeeper coach, Simon Gopane, he encouraged me and reminded me that it was not my natural position, and there would be reflexes that would not be natural. But he gave me his full support.
“I don’t think there was much of a choice because we didn’t have any goalkeepers. It was a better option because as a defender and as a leader, rather I take responsibility at the back. Even if i make mistakes as a keeper, it’s going to hit hard, but I think I take responsibility for it. Other than to pass responsibility to someone else. I just took a chance to say I will go, if things don’t go our way, I will take responsibility for it.”
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