AmaZulu teammates had bizarre pre-match boot ritual, says Elasto Kapowezha

Former AmaZulu FC player Elasto Kapowezha has recalled the unusual habits, practical jokes and dressing-room characters he encountered during his career, including teammates who sprinkled urine on football boots before matches.

Speaking to KickOff in the latest edition of its Locker Room Secrets feature, Kapowezha named Naughty Mokoena as AmaZulu’s leading joker.

“Naughty was naughty,” he said.

He also remembered Joel Seroba and Frank Makua from his time at Ria Stars, describing Makua as “a very funny guy” with another side to his personality.

Asked which former teammate would have taken charge if they had been stranded on a desert island, Kapowezha selected Gavin Lane, whom he played with towards the end of the defender’s career.

“I was fortunate enough to play with brave guys like Gavin Lane towards the end of his career. I will take him anywhere,” he said.

Kapowezha could not identify a teammate who would have failed to survive the first night, saying he could not recall who the coward in the group might have been.

His answer was clearer when asked about poor musical taste. At Wits, he said, Esau Mtsweni – now a coach at TS Galaxy – would listen to Amandebele traditional music.

“What a combination I used to have at Wits with Esau. He is one of the best I have ever seen,” Kapowezha said, laughing.

Mtsweni was not the only teammate with an unusual routine. Kapowezha said one player would always insist on being the last to emerge from the tunnel, while AmaZulu players had a particularly strange pre-match practice.

“At AmaZulu, there would be a lot of sprinkling of players’ urine on soccer boots,” he said.

Kapowezha also admitted that he was involved in one of the fiercest dressing-room confrontations of his career. While captain of FC AK during a play-off campaign, he confronted Mark McVeigh at half-time.

McVeigh, he explained, was a colourful character who sometimes treated matters lightly, making the incident all the more surprising to those present.

The most memorable motivational message came from the late Clive Barker at AmaZulu before a match against Kaizer Chiefs. Barker asked Kapowezha: “Between you and Doctor Khumalo, who is going to be in the front page tomorrow?”

Kapowezha said he still remembered the remark, which he described as the kind of uplifting message that stayed with a player.

Alois Bunjira, Kapowezha’s teammate at both Wits and in the national team, was identified as the player who spent the longest in front of the mirror.

“A smart guy; even today, he still is. Every time, he is a very immaculate, smart guy,” Kapowezha said.

But he declined to name any teammate who failed to shower.

“On that one, nah, I reserve my comment,” he said, before adding that he wanted to believe all his teammates looked after themselves and enjoyed showering.