South Africa's first race-caller of colour and one of the greatest footballers Laudium has produced, Smiley Moosa, is set for a comeback and will call two races at Turffontein on Sunday, June 24.
Now 66 years old, and not having called a race since Borrowdale Park in 2009, a breathlessly excited Essop 'Smiley' Moosa told the Laudium Sun that he is more excited than his fans.
“I am so happy to be given the opportunity. Clyde Basel and I always had a wonderful relationship and it's thanks to him that I will be back in the commentary box for race 3 and 4 on Sunday. I don't think I will sleep on Saturday evening,” he enthused.
Smiley left the game years back, on an unhappy note, but he doesn't want to talk about that as he gears himself up for an emotional return to the big time this weekend.
He played professional soccer during the apartheid era, when the various football leagues were segregated by race. His father somehow got him a passport stating that he was white. So, in 1970, Smiley used the pseudonym, Arthur Williams, and played in the white league for Berea Park.
The non-white section of the crowd used to cheer him and scream “Smiley!” when they watched him play, but his real name was Essop. Smiley played for Berea Park during the week and for Sundowns (now Mamelodi Sundowns), on a much-neglected field, over weekends.
Smiley was pale enough to pass as a white person. His mother was coloured, and, because of the Group Areas Act, they lived in the non-white section of Pretoria, where he used to play soccer in the Black league.
According to Smiley, “The situation of ours was almost laughable”.
It is incredible that his response to the apartheid system was to use his skill to play football in the Indian, Coloured, White, and Black leagues.
Even though it was his brother Zane who represented South Africa, Smiley maintains he was the better player.
“I scored more goals, and my dribbling was good, but less for the gallery than his,” Smiley concluded.
Smiley Moosa will call two races on Sunday, June 24, in Turffontein.