Mzava: I Almost Retired
Magesi defender Limbikani Mzava revealed that he nearly retired after struggling to find a club for two seasons.
Released by AmaZulu at the end of the 2021/22 season, Mzava spent two full seasons without a team before signing with Magesi at the start of the current campaign.
Reunited with his former mentor, Clinton Larsen, who brought him to South Africa in 2011 to join Bloemfontein Celtic, Mzava found a lifeline at Magesi. The duo had also previously worked together at Golden Arrows.
After his release from AmaZulu, Mzava unsuccessfully sought opportunities at SuperSport United, Cape Town City, and Cape Town Spurs.
“I tried my luck in these clubs and was about to give up because I felt I would no longer play football,” Mzava told Sportswire.
“But my wife is the one who kept on pushing me and she said ‘Don’t give up and one day is one day and your chance will come’. I could see something coming, and it was here now at Magesi.”
Mzava played a crucial role in Magesi’s Carling Knockout Cup triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns at Toyota Stadium on Saturday. This marked his second PSL title, having previously won the same competition (then known as the Telkom Knockout) with Bloemfontein Celtic under Larsen’s guidance in 2012, where he provided an assist against the same opponents.
In Magesi’s victory, Mzava contributed significantly, featuring in all four matches for a total of 332 minutes.
Larsen confirmed Mzava’s near-retirement, stating, “Mzava was very close to quitting, you are one hundred percent right about that.
“But I gave him a call during the pre-season and I said to him ‘Listen, because my fitness coach (Pedro Picarro) follows you on Instagram’, he was keeping very fit in the gym, so he never let himself go.
“I knew it would take a very short space of time to get him fit – physically. After calling him, he agreed to come down for an assessment.
“From the first day, I could see it was the same old Mzava I knew from Bloemfontein Celtic when I signed him as a 19-year-old.
“He has come him with the maturity, with the leadership and what a beautiful human being.
“It is so great to have him around the club and he is giving us advice to the young group of players and he is making my job a lot easier as well.”
