Andries Mpondo: ‘I would have gone to Barcelona’ if PSL chance had come

Moroka Swallows and South African football legend Andries ‘Chaka-Chaka’ Mpondo says he would have played for one of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Barcelona or Real Madrid, if his career had continued into the Premier Soccer League era.

As the PSL marks its 30th season, Mpondo has reflected on retiring in 1996, shortly before the start of the 1996/97 campaign. The former Swallows forward ended his playing career at the age of 33 after almost 400 appearances for The Birds, having been one of the club’s defining figures from the 1980s until the mid-1990s.

Mpondo said it was painful to miss the beginning of the new professional era, but he accepted that his physical condition had made retirement necessary.

“I retired in 1996, just before the 1996/97 season. It hurt to miss out just like that, but I quickly accepted that no player is immortal,” said Mpondo, in conversation with KickOff this week.

At the time, Sello ‘Chicco’ Twala and Mike Mangena had just taken charge of Swallows. Mpondo’s body was also struggling, with a knee injury that refused to heal, leaving him unable to continue at the highest level.

“[Sello] ‘Chicco’ Twala and Mike Mangena had just taken over Swallows, and my body was already tired. The knee injury would just not heal. So, I don’t have regrets because I was told to stop; [no], it was time I made way for the next generation of players.

The PSL era began in 1996 and gave South African players greater access to overseas opportunities. Mpondo believes that, had he been able to play during that period, he would have pursued a move abroad rather than remain in domestic football.

“If I did get a chance to play during the PSL era, I would have moved overseas. The PSL era opened a lot of doors for South African players. This is the era where even Bafana Bafana started to compete seriously. It all started in 1996.

Mpondo believes his ability would have allowed him to compete at the very highest level in Europe. He named Barcelona, Real Madrid and clubs in the English Premier League as destinations he could have reached.

“I would have gone on to play for the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, or in the English Premier League. During our time, it was still the apartheid era. To play abroad, you had to sneak out of the country.

The restrictions of the apartheid era made international opportunities far more difficult for South African footballers than they would later become. Mpondo said travelling overseas to play football could require players to leave the country secretly.

Despite missing out on the PSL’s launch, he said he had no regrets about the timing of his retirement. His knee problem had persisted, and he felt it was right to allow younger players to take his place.

Mpondo’s only wish for the competition now is that it should expand to 20 teams. However, he remains satisfied with the standard of football in the league and believes it ranks among the strongest competitions on the continent.

“My only wish is for the PSL to have 20 teams. But as for the standard of the league, I’m very happy. I’m sure we are one of the top four leagues [in Africa],” adds the senior citizens who wowed the Swallows faithful in his heyday.