Tebogo Langerman - with his eyes constantly fixed on the ground at Mamelodi Sundowns’ base in Chloorkop, only raising his head to emphasise a point - opened up about feeling like he is invisible at times.
The way the leftbacks have been picked for Bafana Bafana, for whom Langerman was snubbed for a long time, is the reason the 30-year-old feels like he is invisible.
When there was a leftback crisis, after Tshepo Masilela snubbed a national team call-up while Thabo Matlaba was injured, Langerman was never mentioned as an option to solve that problem. Newbies Sifiso Hlanti and Cheslyn Jampies got the nod ahead of him. This was despite Langerman having been a more consistent figure than the two, with more trophies. And he was a regular for four seasons in a demanding and higher environment than where the pair used to play.
“People tend to forget me,” Langerman said. “It’s like I am invisible. I think maybe it’s because I am not always in the papers and the news. I just play my football and it ends there. Maybe that’s why people don’t see that there’s another leftback around (in me).”
Langerman continued, “But I won’t change who I am. If I do that, the way I play will change. I have been a regular for four seasons at Mamelodi Sundowns. My profile will talk for me.
“I think that these things happen for a reason. My time will come. The most important thing for me is to do well and ensure that Mamelodi Sundowns wins.”
Langerman will look to continue helping Sundowns win on Saturday in the CAF Champions League final against Zamalek at Lucas Moripe Stadium. The return leg will be played in Alexandria next Saturday.
With a Champions League winner’s medal dangling on his neck, it will be hard to ignore Langerman. He has already caught the attention of Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba. Langerman travelled with the national team to Burkina Faso where they started their World Cup qualifiers. That nod was a welcome change to a man who has felt overlooked for a long time. He even confided in Mosimane about his snub. Mosimane had simple advice for him, “shut up and show them that you belong there”. He did just that. But Langerman's relationship with Mosimane isn’t plain black and white. It has plenty of gray areas.
“It’s difficult for me to work with him sometimes,” Langerman said. “It’s challenging. We disagree on certain things because we see things differently. But at the end of the day we want the same thing, to win, which is what unites us. We want the team to grow and succeed. Our common goal outweighs any disagreements we might have. We have developed a strong bond.”
The first strong bond that Langerman developed with a coach in the professional setup was with Roger de Sa who signed him at Bidvest Wits from amateur side Ruimsig FC from Roodepoort. After the Clever Boys, Langerman went to SuperSport United before joining the Brazilians four years ago. Even though his career took off late, he always believed he would be a star. The turning point was at high school, where he was a striker before he was converted to a midfielder and then a defender, where football changed from being a hobby to something he can make a career of.
“I knew I would make it big,” Langerman said. “That’s why I wasn’t working so hard with my school work.”
The Star