Dave Mussard spends his day baking.
Among the specialities of this pastry chef are pan cakes. And dammit, his chocolate cakes "are to die for".
Mussard is a man with many uses for his hands - he would have been the goalkeeper the Bafana Bafana frontline faced when they take on Seychelles in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifier at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
The 31-year-old plays for local team La Passe FC part time, but is fully employed at the Hotel Pataran on Digue Island.
When the Sunday Times called the hotel for an interview with Mussard, his manager, madame Lindy Saindina, waxed lyrical about his outstanding skills with the oven.
"Aaahhh, you want to know about Dave? Okay, he's been working with us close to 10 years. This man is a very cool person, he can help you in any way he can.
"He makes very good pancakes and bakes good cakes. But his chocolate cake is delicious. It is, what do they say, erm, to die for," said Saindina, giggling.
Mussard will have more time to perfect his baking because a hamstring injury has kept him out of the team that will visit SA.
He is, naturally, very disappointed and may have to seek comfort in his own devilishly good chocolate cake.
But a dejected Mussard takes umbrage with coach Gavin Jeanne for omitting him.
"The coach didn't select me. He says I'm not performing for my club. After the injury I went to doctor and he said 'OK, now you are fine'. I would have liked to come there, but I'm not," said Mussard.
"If I was there, I was going to make sure no goals were scored. That was my aim. I was hoping to impress the teams in SA for them to see me. Maybe they sign me professional contract. But the coach, no selection."
Are you angry he left you out?
"I am mostly angry. Yes, slightly. I don't know why he didn't select me."
A plus-size gentle giant, Mussard was far from being a wall when Seychelles hosted Nigeria - he was beaten three times via goals by Ahmed Musa, Chidozie Awaziem and Odion Ighalo when The Pirates lost to the Super Eagles last month.
Seychelles Football Federation president Elvis Chetty told the Sunday Times yesterday that Mussard's selection for the game against Nigeria arose out of adversity.
"All our regular keepers were out. It was a bizarre circumstance. The goalkeeping department had to settle for Dave," said Chetty.
Coach Jeanne has called up Mussard's club teammate and co-worker at the hotel, Perry Monnaie, the 21-year-old centre forward. "Yes, we also have Perry. He fixes air conditioners, you can call him mechanic," explained Saindina, adding: "He missed two goals against Nigeria. I wanted to kill him for that and then I wanted to make alive again." Another giggle.
Chetty rates Monnaie as a bright prospect. "He is a boy that has immense potential if he puts his head down and concentrates on his game.
"I think he has played maybe five games. I'm presuming, I can't remember from the top of my head," said Chetty.
"We have a number of injuries to key personnel. I've just been told by the head of delegation that even Perry is doubtful for the game," said Chetty.
Among the injured is Karl Hall, the lanky England-born attacking midfielder who was in SA for the Cosafa Cup.
"We have no choice but to make do with what we have, but I'm confident that the boys will come out in a competitive mode."
Seychelles will arrive in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning.
Saturday's clash should be a laugh a minute against a team teeming with what one can call a bunch of professional amateurs.
In their last six Afcon qualifiers on the road, Seychelles shipped 16 goals. They scored only three. Libya beat them 5-1, to which Mussard is quick to say: "It was not me in goal for that match."
But with Bafana having developed a habit of losing, to Cape Verde and Madagascar, victory can never be regarded as certain. "You know, with humility, we probably made a mistake there (in the two World Cup qualifiers against Cape Verde) and trod on that banana skin well and truly," remarked Bafana coach Stuart Baxter at Monday's squad announcement in Jozi.
''The truth is we have had issues with teams like this and we need to address those issues, and we need to put it right," he said.
''If you heard what I said, I said we need to get six points from these two games.
"So going into this game we have got to show steel, we have got to show professionalism and we have got to take the six points."..