“I do not want to die…until I have faithfully made the most of my talent and cultivated the seed that was placed in me until the last small twig has grown” – Kathe Kollwitz
Full names: Johannes
Surname: Phadime
DOB: 2/09/1967
Nickname: ‘Disco’
Former clubs played for: Real Hearts FC, Secunda Aces FC, Bloemfontein Celtic FC, Kaizer Chiefs FC, Manning Rangers FC
(Part 1)
I take a long journey to Ratanda in Heidelburg, the south of the Gauteng province. The reason of my journey? I am here to meet up with the area’s greatest footballer, Johannes ‘Disco’ Phadime. A legend of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club & the Vaal Triangle, it is no surprise that once I mention his name at the local taxi rank, the driver promises to directly deliver me to ‘Disco’s’ residence. I am warmly welcomed by the great ‘Disco’ & this is the tale of one of the Vaal’s greatest…
Grade 3, the year ‘Disco’ came to be…
Growing up football is not a choice, but a part of the boy child in many of South Africa’s townships. From playing spy-two lebota(an informal game where once a player is nutmegged he/she must try & touch a nearby wall as quick as possible so as to escape being smacked by fellow players) to one pole ( an informal game mostly played in the street with two teams using one brick each as goals to outplay each other), football is the only relief for many. Johannes Phadime, would like many before him be part of this township phenomenon, whenever he played on the then gravel streets he would try by all means to imitate the skills of his role-model legendary midfielder Joel ‘Ace’ Mnini of Moroka Swallows FC. Diminutive & skillful, Johannes Phadime finally had his talent recognised when playing for his lower Primary School team against another school in Bophelong in Vanderbijlpark. So dazzling he was that day, the following Monday morning at assembly an educator who had accompanied the team coined the nickname ‘Disco’
as he described Johannes Phadime’s performance.
First team…
Having shone at school football, ‘Disco’ needed to test himself at a local club & was soon part of Real Hearts FC, his first football club. He was the youngest & played with the likes of Sidwell Mabuya. Sadly due to the political unrest of the era, when the riots flared up ‘Disco’s family decided they would enrol him at a boarding school in Mpumalanga only to find out it was full. He then got a school in Mbalenhle in Secunda & he soon joined local side Secunda Aces FC which was then campaigning in the then NPSL, he was earning R200 & living with his grandfather while still focusing on his studies. During the school holidays he got an opportunity to play for Bloemfontein Young Tigers FC in a curtain raiser match for Bloemfontein Celtic FC. So impressive he was on the day that he impressed the legendary former owner of Bloemfontein Celtic FC, Ntate Petrus Molemela who then invited ‘Disco’ to come attend the 1985 Mainstay Cup(Nedbank Cup currently) final between Bloemfontein Celtic against African Wanderers which Celtic went on to win 2-1 after extra time.
Disco becomes Lesele-Sele…
‘Disco’ joined Bloemfontein Celtic FC together with another great in John ’10 %’ Serathi. ‘Disco’ was still at school & part of his contractual agreement stipulated that he would live with Ntate Molemela so as to focus on his studies. Before he joined Celtic, legendary Jomo Sono was highly interested but ‘Disco’ preferred the green & white of phunya sele-sele, treated like sons by Ntate Molemela with fellow teammate Lucas Skhosana , Disco reflects “I enjoyed my stay at Celtic, especially under Coach Dave Roberts who not only liked me but really had a big influence on my game & life.We were well taken care of & Ntate Molemela taught us so much about life”. With an improved salary given Celtic were campaigning in the then NSL, so passionate about football that money did not matter to Disco, every salary went to his family in Ratanda & only took the change. After serving Celtic with distinction for 5 years playing with the likes of Ernst Chirwali , interest from Kaizer Chiefs FC soon surfaced, Disco shares why Chiefs came knocking ” In all my years playing for Celtic, whenever we were up against Kaizer Chiefs FC, I always happened to be on the score sheet. I remember how I used to give Gardner Seale a tough time always when I came up against him. We challenged each other so much & it took out the best in both of us as we wanted to exit the stadium having made our teams proud”.
(Disco runs away from Bloemfontein Celtic FC, Teenage Dladla finds his replacement – more in part 2 of ‘Celebrating the Legend~Johannes Phadime’)
Narrating The Vaal Triangle Football Story
Vaal Diski 9-Nine 