If there is a football hell, this could be it. The sky, looking gloomy and ominous, is laden with soaking drizzle on what was supposed to be a summer’s day. With thunder rumbling in their ears and forked lightning slashing down from the heavens, poor Moroka Swallows found themselves flapping haplessly into the eye of the storm in the depths of the third tier of South African football.
From the first minute, Swallows were outmuscled, outplayed and outthought at the Italian Club in Germiston, Johannesburg.
Their heads dropped at 1-0 and didn’t come up again. African All Stars – who missed out narrowly on promotion from the ABC Motsepe Gauteng League last season– made it 2-0 at half time and 3-0 by the final whistle. It could have been six; Swallows retained merely three of their players who were relegated from the National First Division last season and all of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) players are long gone. This has left a vulnerable and inexperienced side taking on the physical rigours of the third division.
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Swallows are dejected, demoralized, often defeated, and down among the dead men of the lower leagues; boys against men. On this day, the men playing for African All Stars earned a R700 ($50) win bonus; by the look of it, Swallows may not get one for a long time yet.
The second half was better from Swallows, but a wasted afternoon was summed up after a flowing move down the right ended in a wild shot into the middle of nowhere.
“We should take him off and not replace him with anyone,” says one diehard Swallows supporter.
The defeat left Swallows languishing one point above the relegation zone with one win in eight games. Where they go down to from here is anybody’s guess. A few days later, under even gloomier skies, Swallows played league leaders Maccabi FC. In Africa, rain is meant to bring good luck. It seemed to come this night as Swallows, against the run of play, scored a last-minute goal to seal a 2-1 victory, only their second win of the season. Will the win, and the rain, open the floodgates on a successful season? It’s unlikely.
It is incredible to think Swallows, founded in 1947 and one of the oldest clubs in Africa, won the MTN8 Cup final just four years ago and was considered one of the top three clubs. Gordon Igesund, one of South Africa’s best coaches who went on to manage his country, was at the helm in those days of plain sailing.
Sadder still is that a handful of Swallows loyalists turn up every week, dressed in their maroon robes and hats of homage – largely for old time’s sake – with enthusiasm for a cup final rather than a football wake.
One of them is a man the fans call Spikiri, from Alexandra, a driver for one of the cinema companies. He is dressed from head-to-toe in maroon with sunglasses under his sun hat. Spikiri, born in 1968, has supported Swallows since he was five and shakes his head at half-time as he tells FORBES AFRICA of his pain over two relegations in three seasons.
“Tjo, my man I was crying. I could not believe it. I felt sick. I didn’t eat for a week. My family and friends laughed at me. I couldn’t even perform in bed for my lady,” he says. “I couldn’t believe my team was gone.”
Even the African All Stars players, who were paid to pour on the pain on this afternoon, can’t believe the fall of Swallows.
“It’s a South African shock, they shouldn’t be here,” says 22-year-old striker Siphiwe Simelane.
The downfall of Swallows has many fathers: the death of a chairman, who loved the club, mismanagement and disastrous deals.
The team manager, Power Makhura, feels the current chairman shouldn’t be running the club from Cape Town. He isn’t “hands on,” he tells me.
In August 2016, FORBES AFRICA reported on a desperate last-ditch bid to buy the club’s way back into the PSL by taking the place of Free State Stars. It was far too late and the PSL said no.
The word among the faithful few on the terraces suggests that this self-same deal may be back on.
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“There is a 100 percent a deal in place to buy Free State Stars next season and use the current side as the development team,” says Spikiri who claims to have the ear of the committee. “We pay for the thing we love, it’s a small price to pay.”
Maybe, but one Swallow doesn’t make a PSL return.
At the final whistle, the hunched youngsters of Swallows trudge to their coach as if they were on the way to the headmaster’s office.
“It can’t get any worse than this, which is probably the upside of the situation,” chuckled the substitution advisor in the clapboard stand.
What is certain is that Swallows are likely to have to swallow a lot more pride before this football hell freezes over.

Wounded Swallows  Roast In Football Hell

He is the number one fan of one of the oldest teams in Africa, Moroka Swallows, commonly known as the Birds, from Dube, not far from Nelson Mandela’s home in Orlando, Soweto, South Africa’s most well-known township.
His home is hard to miss; the Moroka Swallows emblem is painted in maroon on the outside wall. Inside his home is a shrine. Old team photos and portraits of him with players, commentators and presenters are stuck to the walls. No mistake, this is the home of Thomas ‘Rasta’ Mokhari in Pimville, Soweto.
“I was born into Swallows; my late dad was a Swallows supporter. We went to stadiums all the time and I knew nothing about soccer. I was about six years old,” says Mokhari.
By the age of 10, in 1965, Mokhari was a devotee; this was the year that the Birds won the league. He is a diehard Moroka Swallows supporter, even though he hasn’t seen a league win since.
Over the years, as Mokhari grew older and wiser, he sold rubbing ointment to Swallows players at stadiums for pocket money.
“My dad was a nurse and would come home with a big tin of rubbing ointment. I would warm it up and pour it into smaller containers to sell,” he says.
His love for the team never diminished. Mokhari got his first Swallows membership card in 1982 at Orlando Stadium. There weren’t any application forms, he says, just a stamp and your name.
“When it comes to the playing on the field, they used to amaze me. If you were playing Swallows you would be scared, it was impossible for you not to be scared,” he says.
He recalls a match between Swallows and Durban City. The opponents were five goals ahead but Moroka Swallows scored six in the last 10 minutes. Then there was the game against Orlando Pirates. Pirates were leading by three goals but the game ended 4-3 to Swallows.
Mokhari can’t remember too many table topping wins, but can recall how much he paid to watch.
“Six cents, 15 cents, R2.60 right up to R40”.
Mokhari has a sense of humor, being a Swallows fan, it helps. He speaks proudly of the team and its history but is not impressed with its current state.
“We are the first team to make history. It is the first team to have a sponsor, the first team to have a membership card, the first team to have a brass band, the first team to have cheerleaders, first team to have branches, also the first team to get relegated today and again tomorrow,” says Mokhari.
See what we mean about a sense of humor?
The last two seasons were no laughing matter. In 2015, the Birds were relegated from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to the National First Division (NFD) and this year they dropped to the third-tier ABC Motsepe League. For the upcoming season they are to play a number of teams that don’t get paid, like Orbit College, Apollo XI and Kings United.
The current state of Swallows has saddened many of the club’s fans; their dignity so crushed that it was difficult for many to talk to FORBES AFRICA.
I asked the Birds’ number one fan what happened to his team, a team that has a proud history stretching to 1946.
It began with the departure of its chairman.
“May his soul rest in peace Mr David Chabeli, he was a tired man, and he wanted to sell the team. For five years he sang the same song and people were dodging, the white people came and bought the team,” says Mokhari.
In 2001, Chabeli, known as ‘Bra Pine’, sold his majority shares to German investor Dieter Bock and Leon Prins, who became managing director of the team.
The Birds flew high, winning the Nedbank Cup in 2009 and the MTN8 in 2012.
Bock’s death in 2010 ushered in the dark days; the team wasn’t doing well even after the 2012 cup win. Bock left everything with the inexperienced Prins, says Mokhari.
But light flickers at the end of the tunnel. The Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, heads a group of investors who have bought 92% of Moroka Swallows, according to Mokhari, also a club official.
The new ownership of the team could bring change; but can Swallows, wallowing in the third tier, return to the big time in the PSL?
Mokhari suggests if the minority owners are bought out, the team will do better, so the current buyers of Moroka Swallows should buy 100% of the shares.
The word is that the new owners want to buy PSL club Free State Stars, and with them a way back into top flight football.
That is likely to take time. Luxolo September, the spokesman for the PSL, warns that buying a club and being accepted into the league is a lengthy process. First, the PSL executive committee has to accept the idea, if so, it is passed to the legal department to check the veracity of the club and its new owners. It is similar to the due diligence carried out when you buy a house or a car. If the legal department is happy, the matter is sent back to the executive for a final decision.
“But so far we have heard nothing officially,” says September.
With the new season set to kick off on August 22, the Birds need to hurry up and take wing. Otherwise they’ll be coming home to roost at Orbit College.

Will The Birds Fly Above The Dead Men?

Throughout the years that Greg Etafia has been between the poles for South African club Moroka Swallows, he has become one of the most valuable players in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). The Nigerian’s performances have been consistently high since he signed for Swallows in 2002 and he remains Swallows’ first choice goalkeeper. He feels he can still offer more.
“I am very happy that I am still active, doing well for Swallows whenever I am in action. For all the years that I have been playing for Swallows, I always gave my best and it is good that the team has been stable. When I arrived at Swallows from Nigeria, I was aware that I [was] going to participate in a highly competitive league that is well organized, so I always prepare myself well for any challenges that I come across,” he says.
Etafia has an impressive track record. In Nigeria, he performed with flying colors for Lobi Stars while they were in the CAF Champions League. He helped Stars reach the semifinals and quarterfinals of Africa’s most prestigious football competition. He also played for Plateau United in Nigeria for a brief period.
“While I was playing for Lobi Stars, I had good communication with my teammates and I was always determined to deliver for the team wherever we played. Whether it was a local league game or in the African Champions League, it was very important for the whole team to get good results. Playing in Africa in the Champions League was a good experience for the team because there were so many things that we learned from playing in different countries under different conditions,” he says.
Etafia represented Nigeria at the Under-17 and Under-23 levels. He was also part of the Super Eagles’ senior team. He credits the coaches he played under at youth level for getting him where he is now.
“Whenever I represented Nigeria, no matter at what level, I always felt honored. Playing for my country means a lot to me and I did my best whenever I got the opportunity to wear the national team jersey.”
Gavin Hunt, one of the top coaches in South Africa, discovered Etafia and brought him to Swallows. At the Soweto club, he was rated highly by many coaches from different backgrounds, including Julio Cesar Leal of Brazil, Rainer Zobel of Germany, Ian Gorowa of Zimbabwe and Gordon Igesund of South Africa. All appreciated his ability to deal with the crosses and organize his defence, but what really makes him stand out are his spectacular saves.
“All the coaches that I played under at Swallows had something to offer the team and I learned from them,” says Etafia.
He has won three major trophies with Swallows – the ABSA Cup, the Nedbank Cup and the MTN 8 – and feels there are more on their way.
“I remember my first cup that I won with Swallows was when we were playing against Manning Rangers in Bloemfontein. We had prepared well for that particular game. We had a good game plan and we approached that game well and we ended up winning. The other final was when we were playing against University of Pretoria (Tuks) in the Nedbank Cup final. Even though we were more experienced than Tuks, we took that game very seriously and we emerged victorious. The other glorious moment was when we beat SuperSport United 2-1 in the MTN 8 final at Orlando Stadium. It was a tough game as SuperSport had many quality players. We played good attacking football and eventually it paid off for us,” he says.
“We were very excited with our victory against SuperSport; you could just see the energy and happiness we showed as we were celebrating. It really feels good winning trophies with the team and I will carry on working very hard so we can win something again.”
Swallows, one of the oldest clubs in South Africa, has a rich history and has recently signed top players which Etafia feels proud to team up with.
The current season started on a high note when Swallows beat South African giants Orlando Pirates, however their form faded and they began losing games. It led to head coach, Zeca Marques, stepping down and Fani Madida taking over as caretaker coach. A 1-1 draw against high-flying Kaizer Chiefs in a league match boosted morale and Etafia is confident they can turn the corner and improve their position in the PSL standings.
“The spirit is very high in our camp at Swallows. It is a matter of taking each game as it comes. It is very important for us to get the good results. No matter who we play against, whether it is a small or a big team, we need to go out there and perform. It is very important for us to be consistent. I know there are so many games that we can play in a short period but we are professionals and we should be able to deal well with the tough situations we face.”
The 32-year-old goalkeeper keeps in touch with his fellow countryman Williams Okpara, the former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper. He grew up supporting Manchester United but his favorite player is Vincent Enyeama, the Nigerian goalkeeper who plays for Lille in France.
Being around fellow Nigerians and following other sports has helped Etafia settle in South Africa.
“I just love sport. I enjoy basketball; it is also a very interesting sport. I communicate with other Nigerians in South Africa and we discuss soccer and other important things in life. In Africa, we have the talent and it is therefore very important to use our skills right and do well at the highest level.”
It certainly takes a man with a big heart to stay far away from home and manage to remain his club’s first choice.

Tag: Moroka Swallows

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Wounded Swallows Roast In Football Hell

Will The Birds Fly Above The Dead Men?

The Nigerian Swallow Soaring In The South