From Manzini to Gqeberha: Figuareido’s road of resilience

Chippa United’s Justice Figuareido insists raw talent is only the beginning of the journey to football greatness.

As a father of two, he said if his sons ever lace up their boots to follow his path, this is the wisdom he will share with them.

“One is one year old, and the other is four,” Figuareido said.

“I wouldn’t decide for them what they should like or do.

“However, if they choose football, I would advise them to train hard, eat well and get enough rest.

“Obviously, you should pray.

“Working hard for me is essential because talent alone will not suffice. You must back up your talent with hard work.”

The 27-year-old started his football career with Manzini Sundowns FC in Eswatini before joining Maritzburg United in 2018.

The Liswati pro spent two years with the Team of Choice and was loaned to Mbombela United during that time.

His South African football career has included appearances for TS Galaxy, Cape Town All Stars, Richards Bay, and now Chippa United.

Figuareido said moving from club to club is difficult because one must adapt to the style of play and the way things are done at each club.

“Despite sustaining injuries, I remained determined to succeed. I kept going because I didn’t want to let down those who believed in the children who looked up to me.

“So I kept pushing and failing, but I didn’t give up.

“Moving from province to province is both pleasant and unpleasant. You get to meet people and see how they live their lives. However, you cannot settle because you can be on the move at any time.”

The centre forward joined the Chilli Boys in August 2025 and has played 16 league and cup matches for the club.

To date, he has two goals and two assists for Chippa.

Aasked about his experience adjusting to the Eastern Cape and club culture, the player replied: “Joining Chippa was a great move because I was in KwaZulu-Natal for a long time and felt like I needed a change.

“I wasn’t growing anymore, so coming to Chippa felt like a new life and experience, a new challenge, a new competition, a new environment, and a chance to start over, and luckily I knew a few players from our previous team.

“It was challenging to adjust to the club’s culture and environment, but I can’t complain because the club has been supportive. We’ve been working hard to improve our performance in each game,” he said.

Fighting to avoid relegation, Gqeberha has won three of its first three league games in the second half.

They are 12th on the log with 18 points from 18 matches after a 3-0 victory over Richards Bay.

Chippa are four points above the relegation playoffs.

In addition to his Betway Premiership career, Figuareido is a key player for the Eswatini national team, Sihlangu Semnikati.

“Playing for my national team is extremely important to me, and I appreciate the opportunity because there are other players who want that opportunity.

“Playing there is different from the club because you now represent the entire country.

“You compete against players from the English Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga.

“The atmosphere and tempo of the game are different and it is difficult, requiring maximum concentration and effort.

“The game’s intensity is on another level. You have to match all of that.”

He scored a brace in the recent World Cup qualifying match against Angola, a performance he considers to be one of his career highlights.

“Obviously, scoring at that level is excellent.

“You feel good, especially when you score in front of your teammates but it’s never enough, especially when you don’t win games.

“I need to score more goals and assist more for my country to achieve better results.

“There is an upcoming match against Eritrea. We start away, on March 25.

“The home game is on March 29 and we want to get the most points. It’s the African Cup of Nations qualification preliminaries.”

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