Cape Town – Salt River resident and Cape Town City FC player Taariq Fielies has a strong presence on the field that cannot be missed. His hunger to win and determined attitude has proven to be the combination that has made him a key player for his team, and deserving of the call-up to the national team earlier this year.
When asked about the development of soccer players in Cape Town, Fielies felt that club owners are selling their franchises too quickly, rather than nurturing the talent. He says that many talented players are not able to develop their skills at their clubs because club bosses become despondent when not being promoted after one season. This is discouraging, as players cannot find a place to grow in their talent. If there were more patient efforts from club management, we could see more Cape Town teams represented in the higher leagues, he added.
His views on the national level was that South African teams need to refine their playing style to match their strengths, rather than imitating other international leagues. He would like to see more academies established so that players can be trained from a young age and taught how to become more structured in their playing. He believes that this discipline should should start early and by the ages of 15 or 16, players should already be equipped to play in bigger leagues.
“You see, as a father, I allow my children to enjoy their freedom. But I must say when I’m strict, I can nogals get very strict, ” says the father of two. He says that he always tries to teach them the importance of discipline and respect.
What few might know about Fielies, is that he is quite a good singer. At the moment, Sam Smith’s Too Good At Goodbyes is his most played song. Romantic movies are his favourite and he can never get tired of watching Titanic, for the whole 3 hours and 15 minutes. One day Fielies would like to visit the City of Love and see the Eiffel Tower lit up.
When it comes to food, Wembley’s Whopper and Golden Dish’s Fullhouse Gatsby is his top two vuil dite options and he likes to seal the deal with a Chocolina from Gatti’s. He jokingly admits that he usually needs the assistance of at least three other people to finish the gebba with him.
The Manchester United supporter says that he, along with roommate Craig Martin, are the funniest in the team. “We just bring the vibe,” he remarks.
It is clear that the future is bright for Fielies and we are excited to see the designated drie stokkies ‘stretcher’ grow in his career and continue to inspire Cape Town’s youth.
