Home » Profiles » ‘Never Say Never!’

‘Never Say Never!’

Smiley Moosa - Belgium the pick for World Cup

He has been away so long, he couldn’t find the door to the Turffontein commentary box!

But that didn’t prevent the charismatic former pro footballer Smiley Moosa from eventually making an emotional return to the eagle’s nest to call two races on Sunday.

Smiley at Turffontein on Sunday (Thanks to JC Photos)

It was a low-key and largely unheralded homecoming after a 15 year absence.

For many longstanding racegoers, the return of the ‘voice’ was also a trip down memory lane and a temporary flashback to SA horseracing’s age of innocence – even if that label only really ever existed in the blindness of love and passion in our heads!

The soon to be 66 year old Smiley may also have broken  the record as the most senior citizen to call a race in South Africa.

The 1952 July finish was marked as the most exciting by legendary race-caller Ernie Duffield.

Ernie Duffield, who passed away at the age of 89 in 2000, is probably the most famous commentator we have had. The veteran broadcaster started his career as a jockey, and was apprenticed at the age of 12. He began broadcasting in 1945 and was honoured by the Clairwood Turf Club in 1995 on the golden anniversary of his first call. Duffield retired in the year he turned 66.

Smiley Moosa’s mentor, and a man he tried very hard to base himself on, Trevor Denman, retired in 2015 at the age of 63 after his 33 year stint at the flagship racetrack of Santa Anita in California.

Trevor Denman – role model

While they were more difficult than finding a winning lotto number, we learnt that KZN legend Craig Peters is 63, Cape veteran Jehan Malherbe is 62, East Cape stalwart Alan ‘Bumpie’ Schoeman is only 60 – the same age that the late Sandy Bickett retired at.

Smiley Moosa fell in love with racing on a visit with his Dad to Epsom Downs. He was in England on a trial for Crystal Palace and says the bug bit there. His Dad was a punter and everything in the Moosa household had been funded with Place Accumulators and Jackpots.

More hair then! Smiley the young sports star

“Those days the racecards came out without jockeys. I had to sit on a Tuesday and Friday evening copying the jockey names out of the Star newspaper into the book. Being around my Dad, one couldn’t help believing that horseracing was the greatest game on earth!”

Debbie Hawkins and a taped casette recording – where it all started

After starting out in 1987 at Turffontein, following a tape recording and an introduction from Debbie Hawkins with the assistance of Graeme Hawkins, Smiley shared his love and work of soccer and racecalling – until at the age of 39 he hung up his boots, to focus on his racing job.

He enjoyed a great career, even though he remembers Kimberley with less fondness in 1990.

“Bloemfontein was nice, but I needed a shower after races at Kimberley. There was sand in my hair and shoes! But I would love nothing more than to go back there and call again. How life changes. Never say never, they say!”

He is reluctant to talk about the issues that caused the rift between himself and his employers and wants bygones to be bygones.

“What’s in the past is in the past. My wife Fiona passed away five years ago. I miss her terribly. I want to enjoy life and hold no grudges. Life is too short. And If I hadn’t had those issues, I would probably never have had the privilege of meeting my wonderful friends in Zimbabwe – Paul Rugg and the absolutely warmest hospitable people on earth!”

Piere Strydom – link man!

The year was 2003 that Smiley called his last race at the South Joburg track.

In one of those twists of history that fire up the energetic 65 year old’s brain into a free-striding verbal gallop, he is eager to tell that it was Piere Strydom who was the link between the door shutting and opening again.

“My last Turffontein race call was won by a horse called Copper Express ridden by Striker and trained by Erico Verdonese,” recalls Smiley, as he points out that the same veteran jockey rode the winner Down To Zero of the first race he called on Sunday.

We asked him to describe the emotion of his return on Sunday.

Joey Soma – lovely to see him

“Plenty has changed. Yet little has changed. I stood at the lift. I’m not sure it was working. It was all a bit of a blur. Everybody seemed to be greeting me and smiling. I met the guys in the Judges Box after a long time – Norman Pitt and Hennie. Paul Peter and Joey Soma shook hands and welcomed me. Others too. I really shouldn’t single out individuals. I felt inordinately welcome and relaxed and excited. I eventually met Alistair Cohen. What a remarkable and self-effacing young man he is – a bright star with an enormous future!”

The man who gave Anton Marcus the tag of ‘Superman’, says he was spoilt by Phumelela.

Clyde Basel

Clyde Basel – arranged the comeback

“Clyde Basel, who was instrumental in my return for the guest commentary, unfortunately couldn’t make it. But I was hosted like a long lost son and was royally welcomed!”

In the build up to his first call in the third race, he was chatting to Alistair and called the horses in the canter past.

“As they circled behind the stalls, Ali kept suggesting I study the colours. I said I prefer to wait till the warning light was on. He was more worried about me messing things up than I was! I have always had this self -belief. It was instilled by my Dad. It gave me confidence on the soccer pitch and in anything I tackled in life.”

Two races later, it was all over. The legend had broken the ice.

And then he tells us as an afterthought that the only aspect that may have detracted from the quality of his commentary was the fact that he was suffering from a dislocated jaw, which he will be attending to this week.

“Despite the pain, I enjoyed it. Just like old times. I had to stop myself from bursting into tears. Honestly, what an honour. I know I thanked Clyde and Phumelela in the slow-mo replay. I want to thank them again. They made a young old man very happy on Sunday – and I’m not talking about Alistair Cohen!” he laughed in a reference to the fact that his 66th birthday on 17 November is urban legend and Salusa 45 is not in his medicine cabinet.

Alistair Cohen (credit: Tellytrack)

Alistair Cohen – a bright star says Smiley

“I played in a trial game against the Jomo Cosmos first team when I was 63. I sometimes scare myself with my energy!”

Honoured recently by the Gauteng government as one of our footballing greats, Smiley defied apartheid by playing in the NFL under the name of Arthur Williams.

A star of the original Mamelodi Sundowns team in the 1960s and 1970s, Smiley is sad about the state of Bafana Bafana.

He points to South Africa’s monumental triumph in the 1996 African Nations Cup – a matter of four years after the lifting of FIFA’s ban of the country – as well as the qualification for the World Cup Finals in 1998 and 2002.

He laments the fact that we  have not qualified for the World Cup again. He says SAFA’s ‘Vision 2022’ policy epitomises a bankrupt approach

“The failure of South Africa to qualify for the World Cup once again should effectively constitute a vote of no confidence in SAFA. Instead they are behaving as though nothing has happened.”

“That’s a long, painful 16 years ago since South Africa last went through the World Cup qualifying process successfully,” he points out, “with automatic participation in the 2010 World Cup only achieved by virtue of being the host nation.”

In 2012 he was invited by the producers of the hit movie Slumdogmillionaire to coach Soccer in India. He was feted as the ‘Indian Messi’ by locals, but he battled to adjust to the lifestyle and returned home after a few months.

Today Smiley, a proud great-grandfather, lives with his son and his wife’s son – both Chartered Accountants – in Laudium, Pretoria.

His pride and joy, and life focus, is his thirteen year old Grandson, who he says is the next superstar. He has a trial lined up with Real Madrid and is coaching him every day.

Where to next for Smiley?

“I am available when Phumelela need me. I would love them to open a soccer academy. I enjoy coaching the young people. They are the future.”

Belgium can go all the way in the World Cup

And on the Soccer World Cup which starts this week, Smiley says Belgium could be the value.

“Their individuals need to click and produce a team performance. If they do, they could win it in my opinion,” he says.

Have Your Say - *Please Use Your Name & Surname*

Comments Policy
The Sporting Post encourages readers to comment in the spirit of enlightening the topic being discussed, to add opinions or correct errors. All posts are accepted on the condition that the Sporting Post can at any time alter, correct or remove comments, either partially or entirely.

All posters are required to post under their actual name and surname - no anonymous posts or use of pseudonyms will be accepted. You can adjust your display name on your account page or to send corrections privately to the Editor. The Sporting Post will not publish comments submitted anonymously or under pseudonyms.

Please note that the views that are published are not necessarily those of the Sporting Post.

1 comment on “‘Never Say Never!’

  1. Michael says:

    Trevor Denman still commentates – mainly just the summer season but you can hear him often on the Santa Anita commentary. Here is a 2017 article about his return to racing: https://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/denmans-long-vacation-mein-kampf-broken-leg/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

‹ Previous

The Power Of Youth

Next ›

Painter Of Dreams

Recent Profiles

Join The Zac Attack!

Second Hong Kong Derby success

High Five For Rising Star Kelly!

From a quiet start in 2022, to a third place on the log

From ‘Zama-Zama’ to Gr1 Owner

Stinky Pooe's Inspiring Story

Bonji Hits The Highway!

'I love everything about horseracing'

Super Saffie Set For Friday

This girl is on fire!

When You Siya Chance, Take It!

Knock, knock, knocking on Opportunity's door...

The Big 60 Looms For Uncle Mike

South Africa's greatest racing ambassador

Kannemeyer Eyes Another Cape Derby

Letting his horses do the talking

Robbie’s On Solid Footing

Robbie had humble beginnings

Look Who’s Riding In The World Sports Betting Met

A visiting rider jets in for the big day

Kom’s On His Way Back

Kom is bullish about making a go of it again

Vaal Trainer Moves To KZN

It's becoming tough competing against the big guns

Chapter 1 – Mission Accomplished For Rachel!

No fancy cars or changes - life goes on for the champ

Okapi Ladies Race Could Be A Roll Of The Dice!

Okapi Ladies International 2024

Welll-Travelled Conditioner Sets Up In Hong Kong

New challenge for well-travelled Brit

New Cape Challenge For Lunga

New beginnings for passionate horseman

An Owner’s Rule Of Thumb

A chat with Andrew Brand

JP’s Flying Start In Cape

Exciting new beginnings for talented jockey