Share

CT City's Matsi on adapting to life in Cape Town

Cape Town - Cape Town City midfielder Mpho Matsi has admitted his current home is worlds apart from Mamelodi, where he grew up, due in part to language barriers.

READ: Bafana Bafana being left behind by world football

However, the 28-year-old revealed that City's non-local players are trying their best to learn Afrikaans in order to show respect for Cape Town's culture.

"Benni [McCarthy] once felt that the use of Afrikaans in the team made others feel left out and wanted us to use English. That didn't work well," Matsi was quoted as saying by SowetanLIVE.

"So we told him that no, we should each make an effort to learn Afrikaans since that's the language spoken locally and because we have a lot of coloured players in the team."

Matsi is also making an attempt to learn Xhosa, but language aside, there are other major differences between his new home and the sort of environment which he knows best.

"When I wake up I see the ocean, the coastal air is different from that of the inner parts of the country. I can feel like I am in a different place, it actually feels like being overseas. It's a different experience altogether to what I'm used to," he added.

However, Matsi, who has been with his current club since it was founded in 2016, is learning to enjoy some of the finer aspects of life in the Mother City.

"I have to a have a smoothie almost every day; that's the one thing I can't get enough of," he revealed.

"I have been to Table Mountain. The city of Cape Town is beautiful, the view from the top of the mountain is so breathtaking. It's not the first and the last time I will be on top of the mountain."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE