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| Bryce bright as the Moon |
| November 06 2009 at 10:15AM |
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By Mzwakhe Ngwenya
Ordinarily, any player under these circumstances would be barred from speaking to the fourth estate. "Hola, my bra," he says with smile as we shake hands soon after his arrival at TGI Fridays restaurant in Thessalonica a week ago today. "My bra, I am a strong person and I do not get distracted easily. I am under immense pressure yes, but I'm not one to give up or be depressed by things that happen in life," Moon says profoundly. He had a frustrating Confederations Cup, which saw him play second fiddle to Siboniso Gaxa in Bafana's run in the tournament three months ago. At the end of the tournament though, something tragic happened. Moon, driving from a party, knocked down a pedestrian - who died later in hospital - in Sandton. He maintains he was not drunk and is scheduled to appear in court this month. But soon after his arrival in Greece at the start of the current campaign, the former Ajax Cape Town winger was loaned out to Thessalonica-based PAOK.
So far, Moon has been restricted to substitute appearances both in the league and cup games. His loan move provoked suggestions that his club was giving up on him because they feared he might end up being imprisoned back home in South Africa. "No, this was not the reason. In fact the club was very supportive after learning about the accident. My loan move stemmed purely from the fact that the coach did not like me," he says of his loan move away from the 20-time Greek Super League winners with a voice with little regret. While with the Panathinaikos side, Moon was on top of English Premiership club West Ham United's shopping list. The Hammers' Italian coach, Gianfranco Zola, is a great admirer of the Pietermaritzburg-born player. Even though Panathinaikos - from where his compatriot Nasief Morris is on loan to Spanish team Racing Santander - were offered three times more than what they paid for the former SA Under-23 man, they refused to let him play at Upton Park. "It was difficult to understand the logic behind the club's refusal to sell me at the price they were offered," Moon says, shaking his head. "And from there down the line they loan me out. It's crazy." Mysteries clouding his career do not end there as it is still difficult to understand the reasons behind his omission from the national side when his forward forays down the right wing caused so much trouble to opponents. His knack to overlap and his accurate crossing made many believe Bafana had finally found the elusive replacement to a position mastered only by the late Sizwe Motaung in the national team's shirt. "Only the coach can tell you. My last match for the country was against Australia in London and I did well. Actually that's where West Ham saw me," he says. "How I lost my place, I also cannot tell. The only thing I need to do is continue to work hard and things will start happening." Carlos Alberto Parreira's return to Bafana Bafana might have pleased Moon, who enjoyed regular play unlike under Parreira's compatriot and predecessor, Joel Santana. "Who knows, maybe I will start playing again for the team under Parreira. Afterall, he gave me my first senior cap before I could even play for the under-23's." Then, when he regains his place in the squad, Moon will have more reasons to look content. Fact File BRYCE MOON PAOK Age: 23 Previous clubs: Maritzburg United, Coleraine (Northern Ireland), Ajax Cape Town, Panathinaikos. Phone: Blackberry Car: Drives a club Ford Focus in Greece and a Mercedes Benz CLK200 AMG in South Africa. Most memorable moment: Playing against Inter Milan in the Champions League while at Panathinaikos. Most memorable match: Winning the Absa Cup with Ajax Cape Town. Most memorable match for the national side: Playing in last year's Afcon Likes: Socialising and listening to music Dislikes: Lies, two-faced people Regrets: Playing while carrying an ankle injury when I was still at Panathinaikos which aggravated the extent of it.
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