Nhlapo: My Skin Colour Is What They Rejected

By Malose Wa Ga Lamola

Identifying your true calling is a key to happiness and chasing after it with all the courage turns down handles to the other side of the world. Zanele Nhlapo is not only chasing after her true calling but she chases the ball for a living. That ninety minutes on a football pitch grants Nhlapo an undiluted happiness and peace. The Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies star defender has mastered the art of chasing the ball and found her true calling in the process. Nhlapo is so good that her prowess can't be ignored. 

The opening game of the SAFA National Women's League (SNWL) with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies was adequate for Nhlapo to secure a move to Albania. "My move abroad happened as quickly as possible. Just after one game of the new SAFA National Women's League (SNWL) with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies I scored myself a move to Albanian Women's side KF Apolonia. My manager, Lebo Mashishi, is the one who facilitated the deal." Said Nhlapo on the move to Apolonia. 

Read: A Keeper That Could Be A Six 

Upon her arrival in Albania, Nhlapo, was appointed as the club skipper. Though taking the role felt like kamikaze mission but Nhlapo was ready. She was ready for the responsibility. Ready to make an impact but her mates or supposedly teammates were not ready. Nhlapo encountered many doubters, more opponents than she usually faces on the pitch. Her only sin was her skin colour. The melanin they did not associate with quality and leadership. 

An announcement that is usually escorted by applause and ululation was followed by silence. A silence so deafening. Being led by a woman of colour was something her teammates saw as an imperfect science. They were mute not because they had nothing to say. Tight lipped because they had a lot to say. Started to drop words you will never hear at the synagogue. Nhlapo felt the trouble lurking right there at the heat of the moment. With language the most evident barrier but it was not as big nor thin as a fog of racism that filled the room. The people in the room went berserk. Her new teammates heaped insults on her. 

 Also Read: Queens and IsaDi Affair 

Nhlapo relays what happened immediately after she was announced as the Queen of KF Apolonia "I was appointed as KF Apolonia captain after three months with the new side. At first the players had a problem with my appointment. Not because I was bad but because I was black. It then got better with time. They started accepting me as their skipper and one of their own," 

There stayed Nhlapo against her opponents. Mostly supposed to be her teammates. She had two covers in that historic moment. Her back against the wall and only trusted soldier, her countrywoman, Andisiwe Mgcoyi, by her side. Nhlapo could trust Mgcoyi more, not only because they were the only South Africans in that, racism stinking room but because they were the only blacks. "We were the only blacks in Albania. In Albania we played and saw off our one year contracts." Says Nhlapo.    

Being a leader that Nhlapo is. She refuses to paint the entire Albanian nation with the same brush. Insisting that not all were racists "We had a great president who loved us and the supporters where by our side all the time. People in that country were able to go to the stadium just to watch and support us. Then we moved to Kosovo after a succesful one year with KF Apolonia unfortnunatly in Kosovo we only played six months due to some unforeseen circumstances. We faced the full might of racism in Kosovo. That is why we only played for six months there." 

White supremacy is a system premised on the subjugation of people who are not white. It normalizes hierarchy based on the premise that the less black you are the closer you are to God than where we are. It can't be a mere belief that to be white is to be better. This belief is frighteningly naïve. "On my side it was not that bad but Andy is the one who was racially abused by our teamates and some of the technical team staff. For example if she scores two goals they would take her out so that she wont score more than their players. In some games they will just put her on the bench not to play until they see that we cant score anymore." Emphasized the Banyana Banyana international. 

Home is where one's heart will always lean towards. When Sundowns came knocking looking for their prodigal daughter, the Kempton Park born star, did not think twice to rejoin a club not only in her native country but too close to her homestead. With the Hollywoodbets Super League still crawling to the next phase of life, financially clubs can't pay better wages than those who have stood the tests of time. 

Nhlapo says their decision to join Sundowns had nothing to do with the Motsepe' financial power "Our move back home was forced by racism in Kosovo. Like I said before, I wasn't targeted that much, only because they felt like they needed me more than Andy. Their treatment towards Andy is what pushed us to come back and play our football here in South Africa." 

 At the age of 30 her playing career has already straddled two different continents. Nhlapo missed out on playing UEFA Womens Champions League due to some paperwork. She is set to play in the preliminary stages of the Caf Women's Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies side. 

"We missed playing in the Uefa Women's Champions League because our team applied late for Visa's. Not only ours but our teammates and some of the technical members as well. Now we are looking forward to play in the CAF Champions League with Sundowns. The experience we gained overseas will add more value to the team and help in our quest to conquer the continent." Nhlapo concluded.

@Lamola_Herold