Lizo Mjempu: Ajax Cape Town’s 3-0 win over Orlando Pirates changed my life

Lizo Mjempu says Ajax Cape Town’s 3-0 victory over Orlando Pirates in 2010 was the match that defined his playing career and led to interest from the club he had helped defeat.

Speaking to KickOff in its In The Spotlight feature, the Kruger United DStv Diski Challenge head coach reflected on a career that also included spells with Orlando Pirates and Jomo Cosmos.

The match took place at Newlands on 14 March, 2010, when Mjempu was responsible for marking Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Tlou Segolela and Mark Mayambela.

“That was my best game. It changed my life,” he said.

Mjempu identified Segolela as the most difficult opponent he faced. He prepared for the challenge by studying videos of the winger, with his coach providing what he described as a highly professional environment.

At Orlando Pirates, Benson Mhlongo was the team-mate who brought the most humour to the dressing room. Mjempu said Mhlongo was both entertaining and serious, making him the funniest player he had worked with.

The coach who made the greatest impression on him was Foppe De Haan, who Mjempu credited with inspiring him to enter management. He described De Haan as a father figure and said the coach’s support helped him reach his current position.

Retirement was a difficult adjustment after 15 years of following the same daily routine as a professional footballer. Mjempu said he was fortunate to avoid depression because he had a strong support structure, something he felt was not the case for all former players.

He also explained how coaching had changed his understanding of matchday pressure. A player is primarily concerned with his own performance, he said, whereas a coach carries responsibility for 30 players. That experience taught him to become selfless.

Mjempu believes the modern game is far more advanced tactically and scientifically than it was during his playing days. Analysts, conditioning coaches and constant developments have changed football, and he warned that anyone who fails to keep learning will quickly be left behind.

He believes his own career could have lasted longer had he been exposed to coaching courses while still a young player. According to Mjempu, earlier access to that knowledge would have helped him understand certain aspects of the game more clearly.

His advice to academy players is straightforward: “Talent will get you there, but hard work and discipline will make you stay long.”

If given the chance to replay a match, he would choose Black Leopards against Orlando Pirates, the game that marked Benni McCarthy’s first appearance in South Africa after returning from overseas. With his current understanding, Mjempu believes he would have been better equipped to play at left-back.

Asked which former team-mate he would choose for a footballing battle, he selected Thulani Hlatshwayo. Mjempu admired Hlatshwayo’s courage and commitment, saying football requires more than talent.

Ultimately, Mjempu hopes to be remembered simply as “a good human being and a good teammate”.