Arthur Zwane names John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu as his all-time football legend

AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane says the word “legend” is used too freely in South African football and believes the late John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu is the player who most deserves the title.

Despite his achievements during his playing career, Zwane does not regard himself as a legend. Instead, he says other figures have had a greater and more lasting influence on the game.

Speaking to the latest edition of Soccer Laduma, Zwane selected Moshoeu as his all-time favourite legend. The pair were team-mates at Kaizer Chiefs under the late Ted Dumitru and won trophies together.

“You have guys like (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Everywhere they play, you still see their shining light. Their impact is everywhere. Those are legends,” Zwane told Soccer Laduma.

“That’s why my all-time (legend) will always be John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu. He carried Giant Blackpool alone. He had a short stint at Kaizer Chiefs before he went to Turkey. When he went to Turkey, he carried those teams. He carried our national team.”

Moshoeu also returned to Kaizer Chiefs later in his career, when Zwane was still playing. Zwane recalled being impressed by the midfielder’s fitness and leadership, despite him being 38 or 39 years old at the time.

“When he came back to Chiefs, when I was playing, he was at the age of 38 or 39. He was running like us. When we were in training, he was leading by example,” Zwane said.

“So, I respect such, and I wanted to be that example as well.”

Zwane also named Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse among the players he admires. Khuse represented Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs during his career.

“Another one would be Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse, who did well at Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs. I’ll always respect such players because you see their shining light,” Zwane added.

The full interview appears in edition 1497 of Soccer Laduma.