Once again blackleopardsfc.com brings you an exclusive interview with one of the players in the team. Today we give you a one on one with Tiyani “Sugar” Mabunda.

Mabunda is a young aspiring player who made his Premiership debut against Orlando Pirates in the opening round of matches on the 2011/2012 season. The 23-year-old is considered to be a player to watch and a talent in the making.

Blackleopardsfc.com: Thank you for your time Mr Mabunda.
Samuel Tiyani Mabunda: Thank you for having me.

BLFC: So tell us. For a young football player like you, how did you find the CAF Confederations experience?
SM: Personally I may say it was a wonderful and educational experience in more ways than one. I got to travel around Africa and see the different parts of the continent and regarding football, gained a lot of experience on the pitch which should help me develop into a better player.

BLFC: What was the highlight for you during the competition?
SM: Well for the reason that it was our first time participating in the CAF I would say our overall performance is a highlight by itself. We almost reached the group stages which is an achievement in a way. This shows the reward for the efforts we put in as a team.

BLFC: Do you think the team will do better in the upcoming season because of the experience from CAF?
SM: Definitely. I think we will do better than the beginning of the previous season. If you re-call we ended the season in good form and were settled enough to compete to our peak. So with the current mentality and team spirit I think the next season will be blast for us.

BLFC: Now that you are out of the CAF, how is training?
SM: The spirit of the team is still very high; we are holding our heads up. We understand and accept that we are out of the competition, but like I mentioned we are also proud of our performance.

BLFC: What was the funniest moment for you during the CAF?
SM: It will have to be the time we went to Congo when the supporters tried to intimidate us by treating us unfairly. But we understood that it was part of the game, but when you look at it now it was very funny.

BLFC: Which of your team mates do you enjoy playing with?
SM: [Laughs] it has to be Raymond Manama.

BLFC: Why do you dye your hair?
SM: [Laughing…] I always colour my hair and I have been doing it since tertiary. It is something that distinguishes me from the rest; you can say it is my unique style.

BLFC: What is your Nickname in the team?
SM: “Sugar”. I do not know why they call me that but I think it has something to do with my skill on the ball… [Laughs].

BLFC: Lastly, what is the last thing you do after each and every training session?
SM: We Pray. Always, we start the session with prayer and close it with prayer.