Online Reporter
JOHANNESBURG. – Wilfred Mugeyi won the South African Premiership’s first Golden Boot award.
Now, as the league celebrates its 30th anniversary, the Silver Fox is challenging the current generation of strikers to prioritise scoring goals over trying to be ball players.
The former Zimbabwean international won the award in the 1996/97 PSL season, which was the league’s inaugural campaign, whilst in the colours of Bush Bucks after finishing as the top scorer.
That same season, he also received the Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards.
He remains one of only five players to have netted more than 20 goals in the league’s 30-year history, alongside Collins Mbesuma, Pollen Ndlanya, Peter Shalulile, and the late Lesley Manyathela.
“The problem nowadays is the build-up play that is popular now. There is too much ball possession,” laments Mugeyi, in conversation with KickOff.
“You spend five minutes passing the ball around in your own half, which makes the striker become isolated up front.
“He gets frustrated and ends up dropping to the midfield because he also wants to play.
“By the time the ball reaches the front, the striker is not there; he has joined the build-up. Strikers are judged by scoring goals, not by passing.”
He added:
“It was tough for strikers during our days. If you look at players who played during that time, every PSL team had quality.
“The competition was very tough, but we could still score goals.
“Nowadays, a Top Goalscorer wins the Golden Boot with 14 goals. In our time, there were quality strikers.
“I scored 23 goals that season against tough defenders like Bernard ‘Shooz’ Lushozi and Gavin Lane at Orlando Pirates. At Kaizer Chiefs, they had players like Neil Tovey.
“Those days, teams would assign a defender to follow you around the pitch for 90 minutes.
“It made things difficult for strikers to score goals.”
He also picked his best game for that season.
“It was when we beat Pirates at Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha). It was my first game back from injury.
“I had been out for almost three weeks, and when I came back, I scored two goals, and we beat Pirates 2-1.
“They had Williams Okpara, Jerry Sikhosana, and John Moeti.” – KickOff
