Kwinika: The bench motivated me

By Benjamin Nyirenda

Last season Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika spent most of his time on the bench and he was on the verge of leaving the club but this season he has been an important part of the team where he is even captaining it.

Talking to the media during a press conference on Monday morning at Naturena ahead of their Betway Premiership encounter against Sekhukhune United on Tuesday evening at the FNB Stadium Kwinika said spending most of the time on the bench last season motivated him to work even harder to reclaim his spot in the first eleven.

“I’m a footballer, I’m a human being at the end of the day.I think everyone has his life journeys.So, I think it was part of my journey to be in that space where formerly I have never experienced that in 12 years in professional football. Being on the bench motivated me. It was not bad but it was supposed to happen in that way and I think in the person I am, I enjoyed that for I think to help me besides the football part of it but as a human being. There will be challenges in life but you just need to get stuck in there and face it. Hopefully when the storm passes it will get better,” Kwinika told the media.

Meanwhile Kwinika further stated that as a team they still have some few things to fix for them as a team.

“We needed this to fix certain things within the group.It doesn’t mean that when we leading in the first five games which we started well, everything is okay.There is always improvement that needs to happen each and every game and every session.

We used that to get better as a team.I think that is the other thing in football, football is a journey.And for some of us where we have certain roles to play because sometimes it is not always about being on the field.At this point in time it is about the team and not who is doing what.

Talking about him being the captain and being part of the captains committee Kwinika said that its not only about him but the team.

“It is about the team.There are certain people that were selected to be part of the leadership of the group so sometimes it is not about the armband to be honest. Miguel is the one commanding more even when I have the armband.

It shows that it is not about the armband but the leadership within the group and what we want to achieve. I have a role to play behind the scenes when I’m not playing to help the guys. Help the team and keep going.

Sometimes it is not mainly about being on the field.When I’m not on the field I have another responsibility which is pushing the guys from the back.It is mainly about personality because at the end of the day it is not about me, it is about the team, it is about the group.Some of us have experience, went out, and understand how the environment works so it is important to bring the boys back and try show them certain things about the culture.

I can share stories about where I have been and what other boys have not experienced.So, it is upon me to integrate them, try show them how things are done and hopefully for the good of the team,” Kwinika concluded.