Passionate, focused and dedicated. It’s hard not to miss the three distinct traits that make up rising football star and typical sportsman Ryan Botha, who’s played the game since he was two years old. Originally hailing from Durban but currently living in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, where he’s been playing for Moroka Swallows since the middle of last year, Ryan is absolutely loving it and everything that Joburg has to offer – its vibe, its energy, its people who are (like Ryan) so driven by what they do. Although he does think we could do without the traffic!
“Joburg is great,” he says. “It’s more on the go than Durban, and a lot more is happening. It’s great on the social front, where people are willing to open up and meet you. There are no clicks here, and I’m making friends easily as I go along. The boys on my team are great. I lived here for a year-and-a-half when I was 19, playing for Wits University and Supersport United, after which I moved to Europe to play soccer. Of course, back then, I was younger and crazier and tended to party a lot more.”
As anyone will tell you, Joburg is great for that – its nightlife! And Joburg is definitely the party capital of South Africa. Ryan is, however, here this time round with a completely different mindset and living in the City of Gold for his career. “I am here for professional reasons,” he explains, “enjoying my soccer and enjoying playing for the side.”
And where better to be playing football right now than Joburg? Ryan believes that there’s much more of a sporting culture here than anywhere else in South Africa, especially where football is concerned.
“Of course, rugby is different,” he says. “Durban has the Sharks. But when it comes to football, Amazulu has the potential to be a very big club, although they haven’t done so well in recent years. Moroka Swallows, on the other hand, are one of the big four clubs from Soweto, and when you walk around, you get recognised a lot more by the people in the fraternity, the people who enjoy to watch football. There’s definitely more of a football vibe here, not to mention the World Cup feel.”
The feel is, of course, the massive structural development that’s currently taking place in our city to get us ready for 2010, which Ryan says, “We just have to be ready for, no matter what.
“We have put so much money into preparing for the World Cup, and it’s not just South Africa that’s at stake. We are reflecting Africa, and it’s important that we are ready for it.”
The stadia in Durban and Cape Town are also looking fantastic, he adds. “When they are finished, they are going to be football- as opposed to rugby-based with a football feel, and this is a first for South Africa.”
So who does Ryan think will win the World Cup? “It’s difficult to say. Some teams might peak too early, some too late,” says Ryan, who notes that Brazil and Germany are always the big teams when it comes to Soccer World Cups. “They’re always up there, along with Argentina.” He also doesn’t want to write off South Africa, and in true spirit believes that if we get the right team together, with the home fans behind us, things could happen. “Just look at the ’95 Rugby World Cup,” he says. “Football in this country is more competitive than ever and is the biggest sport with the biggest fan base. It’s bound to unite South Africans. A lot of people who weren’t fans before are becoming fans – picking a team, joining in… There’s also very little hooliganism here, compared to Europe. The fans, even though they are passionate, don’t try to fight with each other.”
When Ryan’s not playing football, he works out on average three hours a day. Which does not leave much time for going out. But when he does, especially to celebrate a win, you can find him at FTV and Movida, a unique club with a vibey atmosphere combining club, cocktail, theatre, lounge and disco.
“On the odd occasion, I even enjoy Taboo,” he says. “Joburg nightlife is really enjoyable.”
Of course you won’t catch him on the dance floor as he can’t risk any kind of injury. And this isn’t because he’s fighting with the opposition either! In fact, Ryan tells us that they often socialise with the other teams, despite them being fierce enemies on the field.
“The rivalry is huge,” he says. “When you’re on the field, you want to win. It’s about pride, prestige and money. It’s your career. But off the field, there are never really any hard feelings.”
During the off-season, he goes back to Durban to hang out with his folks and play a bit of touch rugby on the beach. But just a little, as he’s not allowed much sport other than soccer for fear of getting injured.
While there’s no mistaking the fact that Ryan lives and breathes football, it’s no secret that he’s a man on many missions. When he retires, he wants to get into presenting or TV work.
“This is why I am doing the modelling,” he explains. “I was in the Cosmo calendar, and I was one of the GQ best-dressed men this year. I’ve always enjoyed the entertainment industry.” He hopes to still be playing in five years’ time though, and, if not, hopefully holding down a good job presenting a TV show. “I don’t want to be a news weatherman,” he jokes. “It’s not really my style. I like to be around people. I respond to them. I feed off them.”