Times Of Swaziland: FELIX THEN, NOW!

FELIX THEN, NOW!
================================================================================
BY ASHMOND NZIMA on 29/05/2018 02:31:00


MBABANE – From humble begins in the fast developing town of Siphofaneni, Felix
Badenhorst arrived in top flight football back in 2007 in the maroon and white
colours of Manzini Wanderers.
Then, he was playing as a deep-lying midfielder and everyone could tell from his
first touch that the towering player was headed for big things. Legendary Jomo
Sono drove from Johannesburg the following year with the aim of signing gangling
Mbabane Swallows forward Mfanafuthi ‘Taribo’ Bhembe but Badenhorst caught
his eye and he was offered a contract.
The lanky midfielder played for Cosmos in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in the
2009/10 season but had difficulty with game time. At the end of that season,
Mbabane Swallows brought him back to local shores and from there, he has never
looked back. He has been instrumental in Swallows’ trophy laden campaigns from
that season and they always say, ‘you cannot keep a good man down’- not long
he made another mega move, this time to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
giants AS Vita Club.
The conditions, according to the player, were not favourable and chose to return
home- again with Swallows where he has won everything local football can offer.
Badenhorst is a household name, not only in the country but in the region and
was the 2016 COSAFA Cup top scorer with five goals. In the same tournament, a
fruitful one under Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, he also won two man-of-match
awards, helping Sihlangu to third place finish. Now he prepares to spearhead
Sihlangu’s attack in this year’s COSAFA Cup.