Posted in News on Jan 16, 2007.
After his first week with his new team www.kaizerchiefs.com caught up with Tshabalala and sat him down to get insight into his life with his new team mates.
The Bafana Bafana midfielder was only eager to share his experiences of his first week with his new team mates and surroundings as well as his hopes and expectations as to what he hopes to achieve out of his few months at Chiefs.
KC.COM: Siphiwe have you come to grips with life at Kaizer Chiefs after your first couple of days with the team?
ST: Slowly but surely yes I am coming to terms with the fact that I have signed for the biggest club in the country. I must add that I have not found it difficult fitting into the team and it has really been an easy transition for me. Prior to my first training session with the team last Thursday I was introduced to the guys by the team manager (Bobby Motaung) and everyone came up to me, shook hands and welcomed me very warmly to the team.
KC.COM: Prior to you joining Chiefs there was talk that there were a number of other teams interested in signing you…
ST: That is correct and I had gone a long way down the line in negotiations with a number of teams, while I did hear that Chiefs were also interested in signing me. When Chiefs made a formal approach it was what I had been looking for a long time and with no disrespect intended to any other team, it was my desire since I was a boy to play for Chiefs one day.
From the time negotiations began with Chiefs, I was hopeful that things would work out, as I feel that joining Chiefs is definitely a step in the right direction and will help me fulfil my dreams of being part of a team that wins cups and league titles.
KC.COM: Did you speak to anyone while you were negotiating a move away from Free State Stars and seek advice from them as to which team you should join?
ST: Having campaigned with Bafana Bafana for a while it meant that I had made friendships with a number of players from various teams in the PSL. Amongst the guys who I had made friends with were Jimmy Tau, Siphiwe Mkhonza and Siyabonga Nkosi and recently Cyril Nzama. So I spoke to them and asked them what I should do and Siyabonga having been in the same kind of situation that I found myself in was particularly helpful and he really helped sway me towards joining Chiefs. Which at the moment most definitely looks like the best move I could have made, I am really optimistic about the way things will work out for me at Chiefs.
KC.COM: How ready do you feel you are for the pressures that come with playing at Chiefs, taking into account that Chiefs has a huge fan base and supporters are not shy of letting players know if they not living up to expectation?
ST: Having played with Bafana Bafana I do have some experience in dealing with pressure from the media as well as fans. Chiefs are a different prospect and I think that one has to be ready for fan and media pressure. Football is about results and people are very passionate about their team so you have to expect that there will be times when every will love, and then there will be those occasions when you will be loathed. If you want to go far in football you have to take the good with the bad and use the criticism to help you grow.
KC.COM: Any final thoughts Siphiwe…
ST: Just to say to all the fans I know we will have a good relationship while I am at Chiefs and like all good things in life we will need to first pass the test of time, thereafter I am confident that in the same way as Chiefs have gone out of their way to be good for me. I will go all out to help this team be as successful as possible, during the next two and a half year I would like to win as many Titles as possible.
Read the full interview with Siphiwe Tshabalala in the February issue of Amakhosi Magazine on sale on the 1st February.
