Did Mbazo save Baxter from the axe: exclusive interview with Bafana Bafana's most capped player, Aaron Mokoena

Bafana's most capped: me and Aaron "The Axe" Mokoena

WHEN Stuart Baxter leads Kaizer Chiefs out at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday afternoon to reclaim further glory for South Africa’s biggest football club, Aaron Mokoena will be smiling broadly.

It was the record-breaking international defender who might just have saved the British boss’s bacon early in the season when times were hard.

Mokoena, the former Ajax, Blackburn and Portsmouth centre-back now at Bidvest Wits, told me this morning: “I love Stewy. When he was Bafana Bafana coach a decade ago he made me his captain. I knew then he was a top manager. He had all kinds of plans but they wouldn’t back him.

“So when things were getting difficult for Stuart early in the season, I made a call to Jessica Motaung (daughter of club owner Kaizer and the AmaKhosi’s marketing director). I told her ‘Give Baxter some time, he will come good.’ Now here he is, on the verge of winning the double.”

So did Mbazo save Baxter from the axe? The opening 4-1 defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns, coming on top of questions over the man from Wolverhampton’s CV, may well have led to serious trouble. But after Mokoena’s call, Chiefs went from strength to strength, crushing AmaZulu in their opening PSL clash and going on to win their first championship in eight years.

On Saturday Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport will attempt to derail Baxter’s bid for the double but Mokoena grins: “I’ve got to go with Chiefs. I know they’ve been on a poor run on the finishing stretch (two defeats and four draws in their last six saw Platinum Stars and Orlando Pirates snapping at their heels until the final week) but  they’ll be up for it.”

Mokoena himself, aged 32 and with a record 107 South Africa caps to his name, has seen it all. A 15-year career which started at Jomo Cosmos and swept across Holland, Germany, Belgium and England may not end in back South Africa.

Mbazo, who played 23 times for fourth-placed Wits this season reveals: “I’m actually flying to the USA next week, there have been inquiries – but I may stay at Wits for one more year.”

With Hunt reported to be heading to Wits, Mokoena reveals: “There are big things happening at the club. Antonio Habas was a great coach at the start of the season – very tough, but I like that – Clive Barker was a good caretaker. But next season we might be up there, serious contenders.

“Whatever happens, I’ve loved it. Amsterdam, Blackburn, Portsmouth… I used to commute from Wilmslow in Manchester to the south coast of England every day!

“And my favourite story is that one you wrote before the World Cup, about my mum dressing me up as a girl to protect me during the Boipatong troubles when I was a kid.

“But now? The traffic in Johannesburg! I was twenty minutes late for my chat on eTV Sunrise this morning, even in a Hummer!”

Sold a dummy: me and Chester Missing at eTV Sunrise this morning!

Axed Aaon Mokoena told he can't leave Portsmouth, they've only got ten players!

South Africa’s most capped international Aaron Mokoena has been told he cannot leave financially-challenged English championship Portsmouth.

Mokoena – who elicits the roar of “Axe” whenever he touches the ball at Fratton Park – has seen his career fall apart since his brave FA Cup final display against Chelsea in May last year.

Pompey were relegated from the Premier League after a points deduction for going in to administration just before Mokoena led the host nation through their World Cup campaign. Despite their troubles Portsmouth avoided relegation from the Championship last season but Mokoena, still only 30, found himself banished to the bench – and dropped by Bafana Bafana manager Pitso Mosimane despite his record 104 caps.

On Monday, his agent Dietmar Wendorff rocked Pompey supporters – perhaps the only British fans to understand the meaning of “Mbazo” – by saying: “Like any player, Aaron is not happy sitting on the bench because he wants to play. I know the basic transfer fee for Aaron and we will start negotiating at £1million."

But boss Cotterill, who has just 10 first team players signed up for next season due to Portsmouth’s financial problems, told the local newspaper yesterday: ““I’m not sure we would let anyone leave at this moment in time. That is purely down to our lack of numbers.

“Somebody rang me up and told me Aaron wanted to leave but I have not heard anything about that, certainly I have not heard anything from him. Then his advisor has come out and denied that he wants to leave.”

Wendorff claims he has had interest from Qatar, Russia, Turkey and Dubai for the battler from Boipatong but Cotterill laughed: “They are amazing these agents, I have never even heard of this one.

“I’ve said it before and I will say it again, a lot of these agents decide to do a bit of talking.

“The prime example was the agent of Hermann (Hreidarsson) earlier last season and then when I asked Hermann about it, he said he didn’t know anything about it.

“I am pretty sure if I bothered to ask that question to Aaron he would probably give the same answer.

“I don’t actually know what is going on with that. One thing for sure, though, if anybody wants to leave we are not pinning them down to stay here – but I haven’t had anybody coming up to me to say they want to leave.

“There will be a change around here. There has been a big change around after a year and probably after two years there will be a bigger change around. We can’t afford to let somebody go – unless they want to pay a decent fee.”

Mokoena found Ricardo Rocha picked ahead of him after injury problems midway through last season and Portsmouth have now signed Jason Pearce, another central defender from neighbours Bournemouth. Cotterill may also bring Greg Halford back from his impressive loan spell at Premier League club Wolves if the clubs fail to agree a price for the central defender.

This story appeared on the back page of The Star in Johannesburg this morning, www.thestar.co.za.

Aaron Mokoena relishes his role as the battling underdog as the World Cup looms large

SOUTH AFRICA captain Aaron Mokoena left Wembley on Saturday night beaten but not broken, wearing a t-shirt saying “Thank you Pompey”. Fans on the south coast of England may consider reciprocating with tops emblazoned with “Thank you Mbazo”. Earlier he sported the Nike effort you can see on the right.

Having seen his penniless Portsmouth come within a missed penalty of shocking Chelsea’s millionaires, the 29-year-old "Axe" now prepares to engineer an even bigger upset. Helping his baffling Bafana Bafana – 80^th in the latest FIFA rankings – emerge from Group A against Mexico, Uruguay and France.

As he contemplates a move to a club which can actually afford to pay their players,Mokoena is already turning his mind to the big kick-off at Soccer City on June 11. After a 1-0 defeat which saw penalties missed at both ends, Mokoena said: “There are a lot of similarities between that FA Cup final and the World Cup for me. People never thought Portsmouth would even get to the final because of all the things happening at the club.

"We all know that a few players will leave because of the club's problems and the fact that a lot of players are on loan. Next season will be totally different and at the moment I don't know what the future holds.

"Most people wrote us off, but we showed the character that we have in our dressing room. The pride will remain. We feel so proud because we gave it our all."

And of course, giving his all is what Mokoena does so well. An early block denied Nicolas Anelka a clear shot on goal, a double block on the half-hour saved the courageous goalkeeper David James and generally the former Blackburn defender enhanced his market value – though he committed the “foul” which provided the free-kick for Didier "The Diver" Drogba’s only goal.

But the boy from Boipatong takes it all on the chin. Looking ahead to his next monumental task – the odds on South Africa progressing from Group A area about the same as you could get on Pompey winning on Saturday – he said: "I think it's good to be underdogs. I said before the Confederations Cup (last summer) not to write SouthAfrica off and we surprised people then.

"I'm going to say exactly the same thing again. Don't write off Bafana Bafana before we've even kicked a ball. The important thing is that there is nothing impossible in life. Do you want to take the easy way out or do you really want to fight it through?"

Mokoena will arrive in South Africa too late to join Bafana Bafana for today's friendly against Bryan Robson's Thailand in Nelspruit. But his presence in the backline, judging from this FA Cup performances, can only improve South Africa's chances.

Baffling Bafana captain Mokoena: We can't let the World Cup leave South Africa!

SOUTH AFRICA'S World Cup captain Aaron Mokoena reckons his baffling Bafana Bafana CAN achieve global domination.

The Portsmouth defender, who plays in the FA Cup final against Premier League champions Chelsea on Saturday, may have let the pre-Wembley hype get to him when he said simply: “We have to make sure the World Cup does not leave South Africa now.”

The World Cup arrived for a nationwide tour last week but most think Mokoena’s team will be the first host nation to be eliminated before the knock-out stages, given a record-low ranking of 90 in this month’s FIFA assessment. But the former Ajax Amsterdam and Blackburn centre-back, brilliant in Pompey’s shock semi-final win over Spurs last month, said: “We always respect people’s opinions. Yes, there are statistics out there. We know we’re facing a big challenge as a team.

“We’re so fortunate to have Carlos Parreira, such an experienced manager, making sure we prepare properly. He knows actually how much it takes for a team to do well in such a big event. We have to let people talk. But we know we have to be prepared mentally, physically.

“We have to make sure we gel as a team as soon as possible before the first game against Mexico. Then we’ve got Uruguay and France!”

With fellow African nations Algeria, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Cameroon also in difficult groups, Mokoena insisted: “It’s very, very important for Africa. First of all, we know how much it means for South Africa and the African continent. This is our first World Cup ever in the history of football. It’s an opportunity to showcase how beautiful the African continent is, and also how much talent we have here.

“As Africans, we’ve shown we can come to Europe and do well as individuals. So many big clubs rely on African players. We are representing the African continent. We want to make people aware.

“South Africa hosted a Rugby World Cup, a Confederations Cup last year, the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the rugby Lions every four years. This is our turn to host another big event successfully.”

So can an African nation do better than Cameroon, who reached the last eight in 1990? Mokoena, known locally as Mbaso (The Axe), chipped around the question for a while: “This event is big, big for Africa. We know it’s going to be hard. We’re playing against sides who have done well in the World Cup before. Brazil have done well so many times.

“But as a South African leader here, we’re the hosts, we have to do well. It’s a big challenge, but I’m absolutely looking forward to it.

“Doing well means that the World Cup has to remain in Africa. We have the best chance of all the African teams. I’m optimistic.

“Looking back in the Confederations Cup, a lot of people expected the likes of Spain to do well. They couldn’t. I see this World Cup as bringing a lot of surprises.”

Follow the World Cup with www.nealcollins.co.uk... and search for his fascinating YouTube videos from South Africa!

Today Marks The Start Of My Great World Cup Adventure. Don't miss it

ASSUMING the volcanic dust-cloud which has closed airports in Ireland doesn't scupper my flight, I leave Heathrow for South Africa tonight, for a pre-World Cup conference called Indaba 2010 in Durban.

Today marks the start of one of the most momentous periods in the sporting and social history of South Africa. As Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena said yesterday, the Rainbow Nation has hosted rugby and cricket World Cups and plenty of Lions rugby tours on a grand scale since democracy replaced Apartheid in 1994.

But there is nothing quite like a nation basking in the glow of a World Cup - apart from an Olympics, which is also in the pipeline, with Durban and Cape Town both eminently capable of hosting that four-yearly event too.

It's hard for me - above, unshaven, overlooking Cape Town's brand new Green Point stadium during the New Year cricket tour - to explain why all this is so important to South Africa. To all of it's people - of all races - and to me. But here goes.

I was nine when my father whisked us off from leafy Hampshire to the dry heat of Pretoria. Even then, I was an Arsenal supporter, though Dad extolled Portsmouth's twin title triumphs of 1949/50. We arrived in a country where rugby union was a religion and football a game for the "others". The nation stopped in 1974 for the Lions tour - undertaken despite the worldwide sporting sanctions in place at the time - and I was regularly beaten up and abused for being British as Willie-John McBride's side took the Springboks apart at all altitudes.

Heady days. South Africa was, for a young white boy, an incredible place to grow up. Wide open spaces, a swimming pool built in the garden, a house three times bigger than our bungalow in Lee-on-Solent. Ah, the innocence of youth. Problem was, I'd grown up with Ghanaian neighbours in Lee, and I had no idea you weren't supposed to speak to black people.

Within a couple of years, my gardener and I were sneaking down to the rough piece of veld at the bottom of our suburb in Eldoraigne - on an area now occupied by the local high school - to play soccer. I was the only white boy amid talented - and far larger - black men who worked locally. It would be nice to say, at this point, that I was one of the better players. But that's just fantasy. These lads, who grew up with a tennis ball attached to their toes, were simply incredible on an uneven surface with sticks lashed together for goalposts.

I went off to play for Berea Park, the local professional side in Pretoria, where I was coached by, amongst others, a chap called Roy Hodgson. Yes, that's pronounced Woy, now in charge of Fulham in the Premier League. I remember at Under 14 level, a lad called Arthur came to play for us. Brilliant he was. But a little on the dark side. Some of the members - Berea was an old railways club - complained. Arthur, a coloured lad from Elardus Park, soon disappeared.

Much later, playing for Lyttelton Manor High School, I played in the nationwide Coca Cola Cup tournament at Vaal. A team from Cape Town had reached the finals with us as the regional champions gathered to decide the national title. They had a couple of fairly dark lads in their team, which was much commented upon. Some wanted to check their identity documents to see if they were, dread the thought, "coloured". Luckily, we had Noel Cousins, who went on to play for Moroka Swallows. He scored the goals, we got to the final and lost.

It was only at Rhodes University I actually got to play football, officially, with "people of other national groups". Lads of my age with varying skin tones. All those years of kicking about with the gardeners in Eldoraigne and the waiters at nearby Zwartkop Country Club had prepared me better than most for "normal" football. But it was a meaningful moment and Ray de Allende, the "coloured" guy in our side, nearly sparked a boycott when we played the University of Port Elizabeth in the traditional Intervarsity clash. It was all over the papers.

Then came my first job and my first real adult club - Durban City. Again, I'd like to say I played some part in their NFL championship triumphs under Butch Webster and Clive Barker in 1982 and 1983. I didn't. I played for their reserves and wrote their match reports for the Natal Mercury. Then Clive decamped to Bush Bucks, the Umlazi-based township team, and went on to win the League in 1985. He also led South Africa to the Nations Cup in 1995. I tagged along happily, taking long throw-ins and winning headers for the reserves... and loving every minute as a young journalist in the townships. My dad wasn't so keen.

By now, colour was beginning to drain out of the game. Almost without realising it, we had been playing in leagues and clubs, school and playgrounds, with colour bars firmly in place. It was only when I started travelling regularly to the townships to cover games that I realised the price people were paying for that separation.

Every week there was teargas, riots, trouble in the streets of KwaMashu, Umlazi... and when we travelled inland, Soweto and Atteridgeville. I remember writing for the Rand Daily Mail when Peter "Terror" Mathebula won a flyweight world title out of the blue. We went to show him a video of the fight and found he didn't have electricity. We had to rent a generator for the day.

And the realisation dawned. This was no ordinary life. This was Apartheid. When the hand-written call to National Service came, I scarpered. I couldn't fight for a government intent on subjugation. But I wonder now if I should have stayed.

To witness football and boxing at the forefront of the struggle against the National Party's policies. They really were. Sport - and perhaps the odd jazz club in Yeoville, Johannesburg - provided the only natural way for black and white South Africans to get together. I'll never forget my first interview with Mlungisi "Professor" Ngubane in Umlazi. The Daily News splashed on it. Their first major feature on a black sportsman... circa 1984. I've still got the cuttings somewhere.

The cinemas and restaurants were a nightmare - as I found out when I dated an "Asian" woman in Durban - and normality seemed a universe away. It was only when I got to London in 1985 I realised how bizarre my lifestyle had been.

But change came - remarkable, miraculous, bloodless change. Nelson Mandela - the man we weren't even allowed to mention or see a picture of at university - was released and democracy dawned in 1994.

This history lesson has a point. Within a year, South Africa had hosted - and won - a Rugby World Cup with Jonah Lomu the dominant force. A couple of years earlier the giant Polynesian would have had to enter the All Blacks' hotel through the Bantu entrance. Players of colour were being fast-tracked into the Proteas cricket team. Suddenly a South African accent in London was acceptable, you no longer felt like a Nazi in the pub when you opened your mouth.

And here we are, barely 16 years after the momentous first democratic elections, on the verge of seeing South Africa host the continent's first World Cup.

People like Didier Drogba and Michael Essien won't have to worry about which beach they're on, which bench they sit on, what toilet they use. Fans from all over the world will be welcomed in the true Rainbow spirit. Fantastic.

But the knockers won't celebrate this miracle. In Britain, the tabloid papers warn of dark dangers. The Sun ran a spread on "Cape Fear" warning of gangs and murders in the Fair City. The Daily Star reacted to the death of fascist leader Eugene Terreblanche with headlines like "World Cup fans face panga massacre". The red-tops even suggested an earthquake may derail the tournament, and all the papers are getting stuck in over ticket sales, crime, preparations and the like.

How South Africans must feel to have their nation constantly derided, I can only guess. For me, it's wrong, it's ignorant. To simply gloss over the horrors of Apartheid and have a go at non-existent or barely perceived threats to the World Cup stinks.

So the battle goes on. Is South Africa 2010 going to be a miracle or a misery? John Barnes, the former England legend, told me a couple of weeks ago: "South Africa is like Jamaica, a beautiful country with a bad reputation. But they will hold the most passionate and colourful World Cup ever."

But for every Barnesie, there are a dozen anonymous emailers and facebookers, twitterers and bloggers suggesting the end of the World Cup is nigh. They harp on about everything from gangs to poverty. Twisting arguments, spinning the truth, forgetting that English fans - not to mention those from Italy and Holland - bring a few threats of their own too, which is why England have been neatly drawn and quartered in remote Phokeng outside Rustenburg, amid the Platinum mines. Our fans can't do too much damage there. Ask the Germans about Stuttgart four years ago, or the French about Marseille in 1998. Makes you ashamed to wear the Three Lions.

To be frank, I'm tired of hearing the remorseless knockers. Yesterday I wrote a piece about the footballing problems England's rivals are facing. Last week I quoted Aaron Mokoena as being instructed by President Jacob Zuma to win the World Cup. Then there's Matthew Booth, the Bafana Bafana centre-back, being dubbed the "unexpected face of the World Cup" as he heads in to the tournament, flanked by his model wife Sonia from Soweto.

Google it, and you'll find both those stories have been picked up and beamed around the world. Good, positive perspectives on what promises to be a great tournament.

As far as I'm concerned, these are the only stories, the salient facts we need to know. I hope to encourage fans from all over the world to read my book, to gain some understanding of the miracle of modern South Africa. Apartheid could never have survived, the government had to fall, crime rates had to rise, inequality chooses various roots to level itself out.

For those who long for the old South Africa, for those who question the Rainbow Nation while Mandela grows too frail to preside over it, I say: Think again. South Africa is a far, far better country than it ever was under HF Verwoerd, BJ Voster or PW Botha, those crusty old racists who were as corrupt as any statesmen in history.

And remember the crimes committed then. In the name of Apartheid. Bulldozing homes, stealing land, exiling people to homelands they'd never heard of. I was there and stood idly by, watching the majority of South Africans condemned to the role of unwanted immigrant in their own land. It makes me sick to think of it.

But hey. This is 2010. South Africa WILL host a fabulous World Cup. I have no doubt about that. The knockers are wasting their breath. Now it's just a question of who will shine on the pitch. Me? I've put my money on Holland at 12-1. Others choose Germany at 14-1. Aging defending champions Italy may struggle, Argentina have to thrive despite Diego Maradona, South Africa have to overcome a world ranking of 88, the lowest ever for a host nation. England pray for Wayne Rooney, Brazil for Kaka, Portugal for Cristiano Ronaldo. And Spain, the Euro 2008 champions, just smile, benignly. They are rightly favourites.

But it matters not. I'm off to Indaba 2010 and the "Global Media Face-off" in Durban on Sunday. Let's start talking football. And a fabulous World Cup to come.

Who the hell is Neal Collins (nealcol on Twitter)? Have a squint at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqck5JuZtuc

Forget The Axe, consider the facts, Aaron and Co deserve your support!

HERE’S the problem I have with South Africans. I’ve been to the big city stadia, seen the work, seen the effort, the enthusiasm, the beautiful hotels, the game parks. Brilliant.

But when I write a glowing piece about their captain Aaron Mokoena (the Johannesburg Star picked up the same piece I wrote here last weekhttp://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20100430071505260C491079), all I get is abuse. All the replies to the article were deeply negative, verging on the nasty. Their captain and youngest-ever player? Rubbish! It came on email, Facebook and Twitter, not to mention on the Star website. South Africans may get behind England, Spain, Italy or Germany, but they appear to stubbornly resist all calls to support their own team.

What rot. Didn’t they watch “The Axe” scythe down all-comers in the FA Cup semi-final upset against Spurs a couple of weeks ago at Wembley (above)? Don’t they hear the words of their skipper? See the work he’s doing on and off the pitch with education, gun crime, poverty?

Anyway, fortunately, Carlos Alberto Parreira is in charge, not the mob. And he’s named Mokoena, Steven Pienaar of Everton and, on no evidence at all, West Ham’s Benni McCarthy in his provisional squad of 29. Just 10 of those players are foreign based.

And there was Aaron this morning on Sky in Britain, with Uruguay’s Gus Poyet and Nigeria’s John Utaka, a real ambassador for his nation.

He said: “Every South African fan is up for the World Cup, it’s brilliant. Sport can change people’s lives as we saw in the film Invictus about the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Rugby was mainly a white people’s sport - soccer is the No1 sport in South Africa but 1995 was a moment when Nelson Mandela had to unify people. Rugby was the only way. We won it and it worked.

“I always say to people, realise South Africa has hosted rugby and cricket World Cups, Lions tours and the Confederations Cup, no problem. That’s enough.

“South Africa is a really beautiful country. But which country doesn’t have crime? People are trying to blow things out of proportion. Yes, we have crime in South Africa, but that crime will not jeopardise the World Cup. The President, Jacob Zuma, says the number one thing is the safety of the people.”

As for their chances in Group A against Mexico, Uruguay and France, Mokoena said: “The Vuvuzelas (African football horns) are our secret weapon! I think we have to do well. It’s a tough group. We’ve been drawn against teams that have been in the World Cup before. But we have to get into the quarter-finals, every group is hard to be fair.

“Steven Pienaar has done well at Everton, incredible. Steve went to Ajax from South Africa, one of the best, they have an incredible development structure - I came through there too.”

And on the inclusion of McCarthy, he argues: “I always say Benni has been one of the best strikers we have produced in South Africa. He won the Chmapions League with Porto. Knowing Benni, he’s a quality striker, no doubt about him, when he’s really happy, he can get you goals.

“Unfortunately at the moment it’s not working that well for him at West Ham. To be fair with Benni, if he’s not playing, it happens to everyone, he easily puts weight on. It’s happening at the moment with him.”

Parreira himself, after tours to Brazil and Germany with his home-based players, says: "This is going to be difficult. We don't know what condition the foreign players will arrive in - physically and technically.

"Some of them have played too many games - like Steven Pienaar who has played 27 games since November, some have played half of what Pienaar played while others started in one or two.

"So they will come here in different fitness levels, which will give our physical trainer a lot of headaches to put them in good shape for the competition.”

Parreira should chill a little. With Mokoena and Pienaar as his spine, he has every chance of proving his side are better than their current lowly ranking of 90^th in the world.

Neal leaves for the World Cup on Tuesday, where he attends the pre-tournament Indaba 2010 in Durban. He'll be available for any questions from Bleacher Reporters through his website www.nealcollins.co.uk

Aaron Mokoena: Under Presidential Orders to Lift the World Cup (but it would be nice to win the FA Cup too!)

AARON MOKOENA faces the two greatest challenges of his life over the next 44 days – under orders from the President himself to lift the World Cup in Johannesburg on July 11.

Relegated Portsmouth face Premier League leaders Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 15 then his beloved South Africa prepare for the World Cup kick-off on home soil on June 11. Only a madman would back the man known as “The Axe” to escape the chop from President Jacob Zuma.

But then this is a man who lived through the downfall of Apartheid, who had to dress as a girl to escape a massacre and perhaps most remarkably of all, inspired Pompey to victory over in-form Spurs in a dramatic FA Cup semi-final upset last month.

Mokoena, raised with a tennis ball at his feet in the dusty streets of the Boipatong township near Johannesburg, is spending any spare time during the most exciting weeks of his life promoting charities and leading campaigns against gun crime. “Mbazo” (literally “The Axe”), is “giving something back”.

Last month, when his amiable, outspoken President Jacob Zuma came over on a state visit, Mokoena (above, left, at Downing Street with his President) cracked an invite with him to Buckingham Palace. He recalls: "The president called me over to the Queen and he said to her: 'You've got to know this man - he is the one who will make sure that South Africa wins the World Cup. He is the captain of the country.'

Was Elizabeth II fazed? Mokoena grins: “Well, the thing is she is well-informed. She obviously knew that the finals were in South Africa and she also knew who I was!”

Perhaps more intimidating than telling England’s sovereign how he intends to tame her Three Lions, is the message from The President himself. Mokoena adds: "President Zuma and I had a discussion. He just got straight to the point and he said to me ‘You have to make sure we win’. He loves football so much. I didn't know but he's a Liverpool fan and he used to play football himself.

“He used to be a captain of a team in the prison with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island. But that's exactly what he said to me: 'You've got to make sure that the country wins.'"

Such pressure means little to Mokoena after his formative experiences as a boy in the Boipatong township near Vanderbijlpark, about 50 miles from downtown Johannesburg.

In June 1992, before democracy dawned in the Rainbow Nation, 40 people were massacred in a political attack – backed by police - which saw pregnant women and children murdered on the streets.

Mokoena told The Guardian: "The people were murdered at night. It was awful. We were crying. But then we were told they would come back to kill all the young boys.

“So my mum had to protect me. She dressed me as a girl and we went to the community hall where there was enough protection for people from the township, especially the boys.

"It wasn't an easy upbringing. It was a township and in townships anything is possible. My brothers and sisters really experienced Apartheid while crime-wise it was absolutely bad but I always had the support and protection of my family."

Mokoena also had his studies. "I was an academic boy. I was into mathematics and I loved science. I wanted to study further but, because of football, I couldn't do what I wanted to do."

For that reason he backs the 1GOAL initiative, which aims to get all children into school. He makes the point: "We are talking about 72 million kids worldwide who don't get the chance. Apartheid jeopardised the opportunity for kids in South Africa to be educated. The President and I are trying to change that. It is one thing he wants to leave as his legacy."

Mokoena learnt his trade under the great Jomo Sono with Cosmos in Johannesburg before travelling 5,000 miles to join Bayer Leverkusen and then Ajax in 1999.

After a couple of seasons on loan with Belgian club Germinal Beerschot in Antwerp, he moved to Genk. He played seven games in Holland and around 70 in Belgian before his big break in 2005. A £500,000 move saw the Axe land at Ewood Park, where he joined compatriot Benni McCarthy under Mark Hughes.

After 101 games as something of a cult figure in Lancashire, Mokoena headed for the deep south and Portsmouth last year, where he has earned similar devotion with 29 games in a difficult season at Fratton Park.

The youngest ever South African international – he was capped against Botswana in February 2009 at the tender age of 18 years and 87 days – he has succeeded former Leeds great Lucas Radebe as the Bafana Bafana skipper and at 28, he is South Africa’s most capped player with 99 so far.

Forced to miss Carlos Alberto Parreira’s pre-World Cup tours to Brazil and Germany this month by the demands of Portsmouth’s doomed Premier League campaign, the 100^th cap remains on the horizon.

South Africa’s task in June is nearly as daunting as Portsmouth’s this month. The lowest ranked World Cup hosts in history – they are currently 88^th in the FIFA list – South Africa kick off the first African World Cup at Soccer City on June 11 againt Mexico, with France and Uruguay to follow.

Unlikely or not, success at the World Cup after the big Wembley day out remains Mokoena’s amibition. Remember, his late, late extra-time winner in the third-round replay at Coventry kicked off the fairy-tale cup run for the Premier League’s bottom club. And his was inspired in the semi-final shocker against Tottenham.

He said: "It's been a fantastic run for us and especially lately, because we know that it's the only thing we had after our points deduction and relegation.

"We need the FA Cup more than anything and there's absolutely a parallel between Portsmouth and South Africa. It's exactly the same. We need the FA Cup more than anything and South Africa need this World Cup more than anything. Hopefully, we can do as well in the World Cup as we have done at Portsmouth in the FA Cup.”

Speaking yesterday to launch a campaign against gun crime, he added: “The debt at Portsmouth? It’s embarrassing. It shows how bad it was. Up and coming players have been involved in this. It’s not good for the game.

“But the Pompey fans kept on going. They are passionate supporters. Every game we played, we were aware of them, the money they pay to watch us play. We rose to that.

“At the moment, we have to sell players to make money. I have a meeting before I can talk about my future at the club.

"I must say it's been tough. But in the semi-final against Tottenham, we showed what character we have. I'm sure a lot of people elsewhere wouldn't have coped with the situation that we've had. The important thing is that there is nothing impossible in life. Do you want to take the easy way out or do you really want to fight it through?"

But of course, as his President might say, the FA Cup final is just a warm up for the real thing. The big thing. Mokoena insists: "We saw what happened at the 2002 finals with South Korea and it can definitely be the same story with us.

"We experienced it last summer when we had the Confederations Cup in South Africa (they reached the semi-finals while Spain and Italy went home early) and I am sure that the atmosphere will be even hotter at the World Cup. People are so over the moon to have the World Cup and we are going to show how much it means to us. The Confederations Cup was a good rehearsal and it's absolutely possible that we can do well at the World Cup.

"I think it's good to be underdogs. I said before the Confederations Cup not to write South Africa off and we surprised people then. I'm going to say exactly the same thing again. Don't write off Bafana Bafana before we've even kicked a ball."