Aaron Mokoena: This was the year that changed my life forever

01 January 2011 01:30
Another year over and what have you done? If Aaron Mokoena heard that line at Portsmouth's Christmas party, he might have been tempted to get out a notepad and start writing. It is some list. [LNB]As 2010 comes to an end for the rest of us, for Mokoena it will go on and on. This has been his unforgettable year and if he has his way, 2010 will change the years to come and not just for him. [LNB]Bemused at the scale of it all, the captain of South Africa at the first World Cup in Africa sat in Portsmouth's players' canteen and said one word repeatedly: 'Amazing. [LNB] My ball: South Africa's Aaron Mokoena heads the ball past France's Djibril Cisse during their World Cup clash in Bloemfontein[LNB]'When I look at this year as a whole, I look at my life,' he continued. 'I look at when I was a young boy growing up, and my life, my career has been as mad as this year. 2010 was when I was supposed to sit back but instead 2010 showed people what kind of a person I was. [LNB]'Now I think about my Foundation (which helps children in South Africa have a better life), of being the most capped player in South African football, a record I broke this year. To be the first African captain at an African World Cup, wow. I got the Freedom of London only Nelson Mandela had that. I got a presidential award in South Africa. It's been amazing and emotional.[LNB]'Then you look at Portsmouth, the club going into administration, relegation, the club going to Wembley to play an FA Cup final. And we knew the team would break up after it. That's amazing.'[LNB]There have been other personal developments. Mokoena was 30 recently, he signed a new contract at Portsmouth and he also began a university course in sports business. And after almost six years in England, he at last scored a league goal. [LNB]'That's a good one,' he laughed.[LNB]Mokoena had forgotten about scoring against Bristol City in October but when he surveyed the teamsheet from June 11 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, memories flooded back. Mokoena went straight to an open-top bus parade the South Africa team were persuaded to go on near their hotel base in Johannesburg. [LNB] FA Cup glory: Aaron Mokoena after Pompey's defeat to Chelsea[LNB]It was 48 hours before the opening game against Mexico and Mokoena recalled feeling trepidation.[LNB]'We were concerned, myself and Carlos Parreira, the manager. [LNB]Normally you go on a parade after you have achieved something.[LNB]'But we thought, 'Let's just go out there and thank people, we don't have to take all the players. But we can acknowledge how it is'. As we drove out of our camp, we couldn't move. Our bus couldn't move. And when we looked, we saw people of every race, which was something that shocked us. [LNB]'The only time we'd seen South Africans coming together before was when Mandela was released. And I was young then. At the age of 29, to see something like that, most of us were in tears. Carlos has been around, he's won World Cups. But Carlos was amazed.' [LNB]The tears of that afternoon were an inspiration in Soweto's magnificent Soccer City stadium. The first sight of the hosts was of them dancing slowly, rhythmically from their dressing room down the tunnel. Unless you are Spanish, it was arguably the high point of the World Cup.[LNB]'Dance is in our football culture,' Mokoena said, glowing. 'We believe in having fun. Playing in the World Cup is stressful, but we thought we can't stop doing what we do because of nerves. The tunnel, the stadium, the national anthem, those vuvuzelas, that's an experience. Amazing, wasn't it?[LNB]'Then (Siphiwe) Tshabalala's goal. No-one knew him, even me. Slowly he became promising and against Mexico, what a cracker. Has there ever been an opening World Cup goal better than that?'[LNB]It was a moment for football, a moment for Africa and a moment for Mokoena. In the crowd was his mother Maria. After his father died young, Maria Mokoena brought up Aaron and his six older brothers and sisters on her own. It was during apartheid. At Soccer City there were more tears.[LNB]'All my brothers and sisters came to the games. My mum had to be at the first game against Mexico. She did interviews before it. I knew she was proud of me but she said it live on telly. And I thought, 'My mum can speak English now!' [LNB]'I'm the youngest one in the family. My mum, my brothers and sisters, they experienced apartheid. They protected and supported me. Everything I've done is because of them.' [LNB]Mokoena's native language is Zulu. Vuvuzela is a Zulu word, so is Jabulani. Mokoena is proud that they have entered football's global vocabulary and he is unimpressed with the fuss the Jabulani ball created. [LNB]'That wasn't the reason why Brazil were knocked out,' he said. An ambassador for England 2018, Mokoena referred to FIFA's recent World Cup process as 'strange'. But he is also willing to credit FIFA for the summer. [LNB]'When I go back people are still wearing Bafana Bafana shirts. We always said the World Cup had to leave a legacy. It has and it is positive. I've always preached about development and now there's loads. It's economic, it's football, it's education.' [LNB]Yet more change, but then change is the theme of Mokoena's unforgettable year. 'People make a country. As individuals we feel different. I'm talking from experience here, I'm not just saying this.'[LNB] Angry Liverpool fans launch petition demanding Roy Hodgson to be sackedCome in No 7: Freddie's ready to make Old Firm bow, says Celtic boss LennonAll the latest Premier League team news ahead of the weekend fixturesEx-Newcastle chief Jimenez leads takeover at Charlton AthleticHarry Redknapp told to splash the cash on stellar names as Tottenham chase first title in 50 years[LNB][LNB]  Explore more:People: Nelson Mandela, Aaron Mokoena Places: London, United Kingdom, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Africa

Source: Daily_Mail