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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
LEGENDARY former Warriors’ box-to-box midfielder Esrom Nyandoro has attributed his football success to extra training and discipline on and off the field.

Speaking in an interview via Facebook to promote his football memorabilia auction on Monday, Nyandoro said while people might consider him to be a talented footballer, it was all through hard work at training where he would even arrive early and be the last to leave after the team’s training sessions.

“My parents used to send us to sell mealie meal, giving us a certain target that we should meet before going to play football in the streets. You will then make sure you sell and reach the target. When we were still juniors, you will be told that the Under-17s start playing at 11am so for me that is where it all started,” said Nyandoro.

“I would make sure that I quickly get to the target then go, but to do so you had to work hard. It’s hard work and discipline, nothing else. I believe I trained more than anyone, even at Mamelodi Sundowns I remember that when we trained twice I would train three times and if we train once I would do so twice.

“For the youngsters, let it be school first, discipline and hard work. I always tell my kids that my late brother Henry was one player who was very talented. If you are to compare Esrom and Henry, and people have seen how Esrom plays, Henry was twice or three times ahead of me and the only difference with me is that I worked very hard, that is all. I believe there were players who were better than me, but because of hard work, this is why I somehow got this far,” he said.

Nyandoro started his club football career at Zimbabwe Saints in 1999, making 53 appearances before moving to the then flamboyant Amazulu side in 2001.

In 2004, he joined another equally ambitious side Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and featured in 203 competitive games, including international friendlies against the mighty Barcelona.

Nyandoro quit competitive football in 2014 after 11 years of uninterrupted service to the Brazilians and was rewarded for his loyalty with the post of head of scouting by club owner Patrice Motsepe.

“I had a lot of offers from other clubs in South Africa, especially from this other Gauteng-based side which I will not mention by name, but look, after so many years as a regular at Sundowns to suddenly turn your back, I don’t think it would have been nice, so here I am, still with them (Mamelodi Sundowns), but holding a different portfolio,” said the 40-year-old Nyandoro, who has 56 senior national team caps.