Former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs has taken a trip down memory lane, recalling how he earned his professional debut at Ajax Cape Town by replacing Calvin Marlin.
Fondly known as ‘Slim Kat’, the Mitchells Plain-born legend remembers spending years on the bench as an understudy to Marlin at iKamva from as early as the age of 17.
According to Josephs, who currently serves as a goalkeeper coach for the Kenya national team, he spent five years on the bench, observing the art of goalkeeping under Marlin and what was required to succeed at the highest level.
“Before me, there was a goalkeeper named Calvin Marlin, and that guy, he put me on the bench for four, five years,” Josephs said on the iDiski Dine podcast.
MOENEEB JOSEPHS BIDE HIS TIME
“I spent four or five years watching Calvin Marlin, thinking to myself, ‘This is what I need to be to become a top-flight goalkeeper.’ Then, he got injured during a match. It was a freak injury—his testicles swelled up massively after he was struck by the ball.
“You have to remember, I had been sitting on the bench for years. I wasn’t truly prepared. When you arrived at Newlands Stadium back then, the pitch looked perfect. We knew that after the warm-up, the groundsmen would wet the field, and everyone would switch to six-stud boots.
“Because I didn’t think I’d play, I was just wearing normal studs; I wasn’t ready at all. Marlin was the hero, and I never believed my time would come that day. It was a complete shock to the system—much like what I experienced during the 2010 World Cup.”
THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED HIS CAREER
Josephs’ career-defining opportunity finally came, and it arrived unexpectedly. Despite feeling unprepared on the day in question, he took his chance and never looked back.
“The day I made my Ajax debut, something switched in my head. I played seven games in a row, and I won seven Man of the Match awards in a row,” he continued.
“Soon after that, I played a game that made people notice me even more. It was a Coca-Cola Cup away to Black Leopards in Thohoyandou. People were not used to seeing a sweeper-keeper. I was really sweeping… clearing and passing balls from the halfway line.
“We ended up going to penalties, and I saved two to help the team win. After that, I was well-recognised,” Josephs added, as that run of good performances marked the beginning of his rise in South African football.
Josephs went on to enjoy a successful career, including spells at Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates. At the Soweto giants, he played a key role during one of the club’s most successful periods.
He also represented Bafana Bafana on the international stage, including appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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