Bafana Bafana midfielder Jesse Donn credits two tough seasons at SuperSport United for shaping his development, writes Mogamad Allie.

Many young players with a lesser resolve would have thrown in the towel having faced a similar situation as Jesse Donn at the start of his career at SuperSport United. However, such is the strength of his character that Donn was able to tough it out and is now reaping the benefits.

‘It was a difficult time. Blending in with the new surroundings as a young person when you don’t have the support structure around you and then on the field things aren’t going your way makes everything ten times worse,’ he told SoccerClub.

When he moved to Gauteng from Cape Town to join Matsatsantsa as a 20-year-old in 2019, Donn’s parents had emigrated to England a few months earlier with his two younger siblings. He was fortunate to be able to stay with elder sister Hannah and gritted his teeth in pursuit of his goal of becoming a professional footballer.

‘It wasn’t easy. I wasn’t enjoying my football at the time but when I look back at that time today then I start to think that experience was good for me,’ he said. ‘I had to pitch up at training and give my best and yet still ended up on the bench every week without playing. I had to persevere, retain my focus and keep working hard.’

After making his PSL debut in a 3-0 win over Chippa United in January 2020 when he came on as a second-half substitute, Donn only made four more appearances including his first start – against Polokwane City – in the 2019-20 season.

In becoming a regular in Kaitano Tembo’s side – he started the last nine games of the previous season as well as the first eight of the new campaign – the central midfielder now appreciates the value of that difficult experience.

‘As much as it was horrible, it certainly helped my personal growth. That period was one of character building for me. If it weren’t for that challenge I don’t think I would be in the position I am now. SuperSport United is a great environment for any young player. My Christian faith is also a massive pillar.’

The position to which the 22-year-old central midfielder has elevated himself is earning a call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad that scored back-to-back wins over Ethiopia in October 2021’s World Cup qualifiers. 

‘Just getting into the provisional squad was a big deal for me. I got cut out of the final squad for the Ethiopia games but then all of a sudden I got called into camp (after Goodman Mosele went Awol) and I couldn’t believe it was happening. I was speechless because it’s something I’ve been working towards.

‘I know how hard I worked and I know I deserve to be recognised in some way. As a young child, you dream about representing your country one day and to see that come closer to fruition was mind-boggling.

Donn has been dubbed the new Dean Furman at Matsatsantsa and his performances have mirrored those of the club’s former skipper. He feels privileged to have spent a season in the company of Furman, soaking up as much as he could from the former Bafana captain who also spent more than a decade in the English leagues.

‘Dean is a good player and a great guy. There’s the football side of things which you never stop learning. Just watching him and how hard he trains, the tenacity, the willingness to put in that extra 30-metre sprints and just getting to the ball before the attacker.

‘I liked his vision and the way he was able to always be in the right place at the right time tactically. Besides that, I also learned a great deal from the way he carried himself off the field – the way he treated people and his hunger for success. But I am determined to carve my success and to be myself.’

A product of Cape Town amateur side Fish Hoek FC, where former Bafana defender Matthew Booth also started, Donn moved to the academy of former National First Division side Ubuntu FC at the age of 12. He remained with the Fish Hoek-based academy until 2017 when he was signed by the Ubuntu senior team that was campaigning in the second tier of South African football.

Had he not committed himself to the Ubuntu academy, Donn may well have been playing rugby or hockey, the main winter sports offered by Rondebosch Boys High – the school he came close to attending.

‘I went to look at Rondebosch Boys but because I wasn’t prepared to commit to the life a school like that demanded, especially when it came to extra-curricular activities, I decided to go to Fish Hoek High. They were accommodating throughout my journey. There were times I wasn’t doing sport at school because of my involvement with Ubuntu and they understood. 

‘When I signed with Ubuntu’s NFD team I actually stopped going to school for that year – my matric year – and I only came back to write my final exams. I was doing the school work by myself. Gavin Fish, the principal was very accommodating and I’m grateful to him and the staff for that.’

Even though Fish Hoek High is one of the few former whites-only schools in Cape Town that offers football as part of its sports curriculum, Donn never played for his school’s team because of his commitments with Ubuntu. As someone who’s seen the absence of a properly structured schools football programme, Donn is keen for this to change.

‘I’d love to see a South Africa where schools soccer is as big as rugby, cricket and even hockey to a certain extent. Part of the reason why South African football has stagnated is because from the grassroots level up there isn’t the platform and resources for players to really be developed properly. That’s why when we get to 20-21 and signing professional contracts we aren’t quite ready to make it big.’


Fast Facts:
Full Name: Jesse Robert Donn
Date of Birth: 9 April 1999
Place of Birth: Cape Town, South Africa
Height: 1.80m
Position: Midfield