Mathoho: Tower of power for club and country

TOWER. That's what comes out of the mouth when Mulomowandou Mathoho comes to mind.

No rocket science involved - Mathoho's moniker is Tower. Why? Because the human skyscraper competes with beanpole Mame Niang and ridgepole Eleazar Rodgers when it comes to matters vertical in the football food chain.

Gallant. That's what should be the surname of Mathoho's nickname. Why?

Because Gallant is what the centreback has become for his club Kaizer Chiefs, aka Gautrain, and his country South Africa, aka Bafana BaShakes.

Let us cast our eye on what Tower has done at his club since crossing the floor from Bloemfontein Celtic to Chiefs. First, context is crucial.

Many players don't think twice when they are on the wanted list of Mamelodi Sundowns. Their faculties are paralysed by president Patrice Motsepe's Pretoria paradise of millions. But Mathoho doesn't belong to that brigade.

A man who knows what he wants, he snubbed the telephone number salary advances of Sundowns when he was entangled in the most intriguing, protracted transfer of recent times. He made it clear that destination Naturena was the only thing that would necessitate his departure from Celtic. Blimey, his father even chased away Sundowns emissary Daniel Mudau who left Mathoho's home in the Venda village of Tshiombo running at a faster speed than a zombie on steroids.

On the other hand, Chiefs were so determined to get their man, marketing manager Jessica Motaung even unveiled a mannequin wearing a jersey bearing Mathoho's name.

When Mathoho the man, not the mannequin, finally made it to Chiefs, he didn't hit a blazing trail. Many wondered what the whole hullabaloo was all about.

That was until he stopped hiding from the shadows, stepped up to the plate to make the union between club and player prove a perfect fit.

You could see the human skyscraper's confidence skyrocket as Amakhosi annexed a league and cup double in Stuart Baxter's maiden season.

Last season Mathoho prospered immensely playing as part of a back four - sometimes five - comprising experienced campaigners in Tshepo Masilela, Siboniso Gaxa, Morgan Gould and Tefo Mashamaite.

This season he is excelling further. His excellent defending has elevated him to an essential member of Bafana's new era under Shakes Mashaba.

Look no further than this for testament of his gallantry as a decisive weapon in Bafana's armoury: he is one of only two players who played every second of the six matches en-route to finishing top of the group to qualify for next month's Africa Cup of Nations - the other is Dean Furman.

With a new, untested team stepping out for the qualifiers, Bafana were expected to be cannon fodder for Nigeria, Sudan and Congo. But Mathoho, a true tower of power for club and country, and his gung-ho gang would have none of that.

Thanks to Mathoho et al, the nation's faith that evaporated like morning dew under the sun has returned like a tsunami.

The encouraging progress this team has made in Mashaba's four months in charge will be tested at Afcon 2015 in Equatorial Guinea in a group comprising Algeria, Senegal and Ghana.

He has the heart of a lion, as shown when he insisted on playing against Australia after receiving the tragic news that his cousin died while Bafana were on the Australasia tour last December.

He is Mr Reliable, a tower of power for club and country, the kind of man you'd want by your side in the trenches.

Initially his potential was peppered with the clumsiness of a baby giraffe finding its feet. He is developing at a pleasing pace alright, running a tight ship. Long may the Tower stand tall.

twitter: @bbkunplugged99