The Fifa Under-20 World Cup, you see, is taking him down memory lane. Matsau, together with Benni McCarthy, Matthew Booth and Junaid Hartley among others, took on the world when they represented South Africa at the same tournament in Malaysia 12 years ago.
"I had mixed feelings when I was watching the tournament. Memories of 12 years ago started flooding back and at the same time I felt sorry for the boys when Hungary scored all those goals. We did not deserve to lose in that manner after playing so well," said Matsau.
Today, at only 32, Matsau sits at home without a plan. To make ends meet, he depends on the "piece jobs" he gets as a coach or player for third division club City of Matlosane. It's a far cry from the stylish teams - the national under-20s, Amaglug-glug, Bafana Bafana, Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic and Moroka Swallows - the goal scorer once played for.
Matsau was born in Allanridge in the Free State in 1977. He was playing for local mining team Lorraine Gold Mines when he was promoted to the first team by former Free State Stars legend Leonard Ponoane at just 17.
In 1996, the Free State province held regional trials for the under-20s and when he could not attend because he did not have an ID book, he thought his dream of playing soccer had gone up in smoke.
"Coach Qinisile Goliath put in a good word for me when the trials had reached the final stages at Essellen Park. Shakes Mashaba was the national coach then and he was trimming the squad from 48 to the final 22. Because all the positions were taken, I played at right back and did well. They then tried me as a striker and I scored goals. That's how I broke into the national team," says Matsau.
"We were hungry and determined to break into the professional ranks.
"Only Benni, David Kannemeyer, Nkhiphiteni Matombo and Matthew Booth were full-time professionals and the rest of us were in the lower divisions."
The tiny forward, who possessed an angry left foot that left goalkeepers bemused, says that doors opened up on the team's return from Malaysia.
"Chiefs invited me for trials and after a week I signed a contract with them. I was loaned out to Celtic and came back to Chiefs. I was scoring a lot of goals until I broke my leg when playing for Bafana Bafana in Iran in the LG Cup in 2002.
"Things were never the same again. After a stint at Hellenic, I joined SuperSport United for two seasons before I moved to Swallows. I ended up in the first division with City Pillars and that's when I decided to come back home."
On the subject of where it all went wrong, Matsau says there was no financial guidance then.
"I made wrong decisions, invested incorrectly. We were young, happy and made bad choices. We didn't think about the future. If I had made the right investments, life would be better now. I have to take care of my nephews and nieces. But the harsh realities of life opened my eyes and have matured me as a person."
Matsau lost touch with many of his former teammates.
"I haven't spoken to some of the guys in many years but I thank God to have met them and to have been part of their life. I am very happy that I somehow contributed to the success of Benni, Booth and Aaron Mokoena. Benni and I played as the two strikers for many years and I am happy for his many achievements.
"I got a call recently from one of our teammates, Manqoba 'Ace' Mkhize, and we chatted about how things went so bad for us. We are not bitter and we reminisced about the good old days, like going to the Vaal to train in a battered Safa Kombi. I don't think that guys like Benni would ever go near that Kombi today (laughs)," he said.
Other members of that team who appear to have disappeared include Patrick Mbuthu, Mkhize, Matombo, Ashley Makhanya, Mzunani Mgwigwi, Hartley, Patrick Mbuthu, Vorgen Less, Given Nyedimane and Lucky Maselesele.
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