IN TOUCH WITH: BANDILE SHANDU
7 May 2020
Maritzburg United’s longest serving player, Bandile Shandu, made his Premier Soccer League debut for the Team of Choice all the way back in the 2012/ 13 season.
Bandile’s long stay at the club is testament not only to the quality of his football, but also to his professionalism, drive and determination.
As a local-born player and a Maritzburg development product, the 25-year-old Shandu has represented the club with distinction and is an inspiration for any young aspiring footballer.
With over 130 matches under his belt for United, the energetic midfielder has witnessed it all; from relegation scraps to top eight finishes and two cup finals.
We catch up with Bandile to find out how he’s holding up during lockdown:
MUFC: Where are you spending the lockdown?
BS (Bandile Shandu): Currently I’m with the family at home.
MUFC:How are you keeping busy?
BS: It really hard but I think the key is to try and find a routine and switch it up a bit - sometimes I train in the morning, sometimes afternoon, I shuffle my routine because sitting and doing nothing is really tiring.
MUFC: How often do you speak to your teammates /coach?
BS: We connect almost every day. I also connect with Burger [van der Merwe, fitness coach], he sent us a program and also guides us how to do it.
MUFC: Who is the person you are most in contact with during the lockdown and how do you guys chat?
BS: I’m always in contact with Phumlani Ntshangase and Kwanda Mngonyama, we normally call each other.
MUFC: Have you ever imagined life without football? And what would you have done for a career had you not been a footballer?
BS: I would have carried on with my studies, If I wasn’t a footballer I’m sure I would have found something else to do. I always wanted to do Sport Science, sport has always been my thing.
MUFC: Are there any games/ movies/ series/ books that you can recommend?
BS: I think I have watched almost all action movies on Netflix, I finished Money Heist series, also watched Bad Boys (the latest one).
MUFC: Looking at the season so far, which was the most impressive result/game for the team?
BS: I think it where we came back against Golden Arrows (a 2-1 win in February thanks to two late goals) - that one stands out in terms of fighting spirit. The guys showed so much character, fighting spirit and we kept on pushing.
MUFC: In which match do you feel you played your best?
BS: Cape Town City away game (1-0 win in October), Chippa United at home (1-0 win in September) and Pirates away game (0-0 in November).
MUFC:: What was the best goal scored by MUFC this season?
BS: I think the two goals against Chiefs (Daylon Claasen’s brace in a 2-1 win in February)…Those goals were well-worked from the training ground, as was the crossing. Those two goals were amazing to watch, it felt like it was something we had been working on at training and it was executed to perfection against Chiefs.
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