Back in the day when defenders were not supposed to be all brawn and no guile, when they were expected to be hatchet men who hacked the ball off the feet of more skilled forwards, Mbulelo ‘OJ’ Mabizela was the picture of elegance.
Forget his off-the-field antics that virtually ended his football career. He was graceful and stylish in equal measure on the playing ground.
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
As his leadership qualities shone at Orlando Pirates, where he was given the rare honour of steering a ship that included some seasoned old hands, his level of comfort on the ball was also acknowledged.
“I coached OJ [Mabizela] at Pirates; he was something else,” remembers Augusto Palacios. “He was extremely good technically. He could read the game well and play the ball nicely from the back.”
People remember Pirates’ match against Tottenham Hotspur in 2003 for different reasons. Some remember it for the Buccaneers’ win against the odds, a 2-1 victory that made the world sit up and take notice, even if it came in just a friendly.
Some remember it for the showboating at the end of the match, as Sailor Tshabalala, Steve Lekoelea and Thabo Mngomeni humiliated Tottenham players and had them running around, gasping for air on the Durban night, as they tried to get the ball back.
QUICKLY FIT IN
Some, however, remember it as the match in which Mabizela put up a masterclass. “When we played Tottenham in the Vodacom Cup, they said they wanted OJ Mabizela after the game,” former teammate Dinha says.
“I remember we were playing in Durban. I said you’re not coming back to South Africa. “You’d think he knew all these players; he quickly fit in at Tottenham.
“He became the youngest captain of Bafana Bafana. He had all the qualities to be a leader. When he played for Tottenham, he was destined. He belonged in that league,” Dinha said.
The former Zimbabwe international ran short of words during the interview until he said, “maybe I’m not putting it in the right way, but OJ Mabizela was unbelievable in that game. I guess he was waiting for that Tottenham game.”
After Tottenham, he played for Norway’s Valerenga before returning home to feature for Mamelodi Sundowns, Platinum Stars and AmaZulu, among others.
