Today, Kaizerchiefs.com caught up with midfielder, Siphiwe Tshabalala ahead of the MTN8 semifinal clash against Orlando Pirates, scheduled for Saturday, 24 August 2013, at FNB Stadium. ‘Shabba’ has started the season with a bang and he insists that he will need to keep improving to help both the Club and country.

Shabba you have had phenomenal start to the season; what would you attribute your form to?

It all comes down to happiness. I am in a good space and it is showing on the field. I do think I have continued where I left off given the assists (that resulted in goals scored by my teammates) I provided at the end of last season. I also had a good preseason period with my team scoring in the preseason tournament, the Gauteng Cup. I continued to do well in the Carling Black Label Cup and in recent league and MTN8 games. I feel in good shape, physically, raring to deliver and help my team this season.

What goals did you set yourself as you joined your teammates in Nelspruit following off season?

The first thing I told myself was that holidays are over and it is time to work. I need to continue working hard and increase my work rate. You would have seen that I have not only been going forward but have been tracking back to defend when called to do so.

Are you doing any extra training?

Not really, I have just been resting a lot when we are given time off.

There was a lot of criticism directed to you at the start of this year especially with your role in the National Team; how did you take the comments from prominent people in the game?

We have over 50 million people in South Africa and there will be those who will like what you do and some who will not be happy with what you are doing. It is part of being a footballer and it is generally like that.

I have been in the national team since 2006 and there were people when I made my debut in Egypt who said I did not fit in with the National Team and I played my 81st cap during the Nelson Mandela Sports and Culture Day. Had I taken all the criticism to heart who knows where I would be right now.

Having said that, it is important sometimes for people to make negative comments and criticise you as a player, so that you can improve and keep working hard. I take criticism seriously and always want to improve and make a contribution.

The next Bafana Bafana assignment is a tricky one against Botswana in the 2014 World Cup qualifier…

Yes, it is a massive game for us! We need to win it at all costs. We know how important this game is for our ambitions as the country. I will do my best given an opportunity to make sure we come back with a positive result from that game.

In May when you spoke to kaizerchiefs.com you said you will have new goals after the team was crowned Absa Premiership champions….

It was my first league medal and a proud moment for me and everyone associated with the team. It is important to move on though and face new challenges. We will be challenging for every trophy on offer this season and we also have the Champions League later in the season. We have to continue to give our best. The Chiefs badge demands that we do our best to give back to the multitudes of Kaizer Chiefs supporters.

The supporters will come from all angles of the country this weekend to witness the Soweto Derby, MTN8 against Orlando Pirates…

(Cutting in) It is a big one! It is always exciting to come up against Orlando Pirates. It is always a difficult game but we want to play in the final and we will have to go through Pirates over the two legs to rrealizeealise our dream.

What do you get up to ahead of such games, a Soweto derby?

Nothing special really, I share a room with ‘Yeye’ and we mostly talk about general stuff not the game. I listen to anything when it comes to music. I do not prepare for Pirates differently from any other game. I focus and switch off from the outside world.

You always lead your teammates in song before games…

It comes naturally and it is a way of motivating our teammates and song bring us together before the game even the Coach (Stuart Baxter) joins us in song. (Smiling)

Can we expect you to release a song in the near future?

(Bursts into laughter) No, no, no but wait, if we win the league we will probably record something and I will have myself, Coach, Itu (Itumeleng Khune) and ‘Yeye’ (Reneilwe Letsholonyane) as lead singers.

Thank you for your time Shabba, any message to the Kaizer Chiefs faithful?

I would like to invite the supporters to come in numbers on Saturday. It is our home game and we have to beat Pirates from the stands. We also invite the Supporters to come in numbers on Tuesday when we play Moroka Swallows in an equally important game against Moroka Swallows……but first, Orlando Pirates!!