Terrence Mashego and Durban City are fast becoming a match made in heaven, and that’s why the left-back is grateful to the club and coach Gavin Hunt for reviving his career.
Mashego is enjoying a new lease on life at City, having been a colossal figure in Hunt’s team, who are eager to compete rather than merely make up the numbers in the top flight after their promotion last season.
The 29-year-old Mashego had endured a tough few years before the light shone again on his career. He was sidelined at his parent club, Mamelodi Sundowns, due to stiff competition from Aubrey Modiba, Asekho Tiwani, and Divine Lunga.
He also battled injuries at Sundowns, spending more time in the medical room than on the pitch. At City he has rediscovered the form and freedom that once earned him a move to Sundowns from Cape Town City. Interestingly, then-Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena admitted that they had largely signed him to weaken their direct competitors who were also interested in his services.
“To be honest, I am enjoying my time here. I am enjoying the coast,” chuckled Mashego, who played some of his best football while on the books of the now-relegated Mother City side. “I think my luck is on the coast.
“Mentally, it is challenging as a player when you are not playing. Before I came here, I spoke to the coach and was positive that I was going to play. There was just one thing I needed, and that was game time.
“I also suffered a lot with injuries at Sundowns. In my first season, I was out for nine months. I suffered another injury in my second season. It was frustrating because when I came back, I needed game time.”
Now that he’s getting regular minutes at City – playing six games across all competitions since the start of the season – Mashego is expected to start when they face Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday night (kick-off at 7.30pm).
Since returning to the top flight under their new name, Durban City – formerly Maritzburg United – will arguably play in their biggest match when they face Amakhosi.
Mashego says the fixture is self-motivating, and the team is eager to bounce back after two consecutive defeats.
“We just want to make sure that we bring our A-game. We have the potential,” he said.
“We might have lost the last two games, but if you check the stats and how we played, we performed well as a team. There was a lack of concentration here and there, but we’ve made our corrections. Going into this game, we’ll do our best to get a result.”
Chiefs, despite being the away side, are expected to draw a large crowd at the World Cup venue, something that could intimidate some of City’s younger and less experienced players. But with the experience of Mashego and other senior figures in the squad, the youngsters will have plenty of “older brothers” to guide and protect them on the field.
“I was speaking to Zola (Luthuli, the kit manager) about playing in CAF competitions,” recalled Mashego. “I told him: ‘Playing in those hostile conditions is difficult, you need a positive mindset.’ As challenging as it is, it’s also motivating for the players.
“At some point, you stop hearing or feeling the crowd because you know they’re there, and that motivates you even more. It’s important for players who haven’t experienced that kind of atmosphere.
“But I’m not alone. There’s Darren Keet, who has played for the national team, Thabo Nodada, and Haashim Domingo, who was with Raja Casablanca. We all understand what it takes.
