Mandla, who once again had a blinder of a game and scored the opener against Ajax Cape Town in the final on Saturday night, got an invite from Deputy President Kgalema Motlhante for lunch and watched the FA Cup semifinal between Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur in the company of the Deputy President, himself a sports fanatic.

The player revealed this news to kaizerchiefs.com on Tuesday. “Having arrived from Durban I got a message with clear directions to Houghton. At first I was little bit hesitant but eventually decided to drive there, despite the fact that I was unaware of where I was going and who I was meeting,” said Mandla, who has earned himself the nickname, “Smash & Grab”, from some sections of the supporters.

“I was shocked to find out the house belonged to Mr Motlhante, the Deputy President. He told me that he has watched me play and likes my style. One could see that he has played football before. He went on to tell me about Messi’s and Ronaldo’s strategy, that they perfect their art by spending more time on the field. ‘Go work alone, perfect your skills,’ he said. It was such a great occasion to meet a person of his calibre,” said the visibly delighted Masango.

He added that he was honoured to be part of the team that won a cup on a year the Club is celebrating its 40th anniversary. “I am supremely privileged to be part of this team and to achieve what we achieved in a year the Club is turning 40. It is good that we are continuing with the legacy that was left by the players who donned the Black & Gold jersey before.”

Masango has also promised to continue working hard to improve his game. “I joined the Club from a Vodacom team (Walter Stars) and have worked hard ever since. I am also grateful to people like Walter (Mokoena), The Club and my family for their support throughout…I know there is a lot of work ahead,” he said.