Sense of deja vu
start to end as often as he used to, which explains why he kept going on with each passing year, benefitting from his slim frame.
“For me, it goes with the mental strength and what you believe you can achieve in life. Do you believe that you can do it for another season? I never ever put myself under any pressure of having to strain about when I will retire.
“I have been getting the question about retiring more often but then I ask why I should when it is not time for to do so. Only God knows when I will stop. Don’t look at my age and feel like it is time to retire when you haven’t bothered to check on my performance.
“I still feel fresh and I am enjoying the game. I always tell the boys here that you have to enjoy when you play football,” he says, before mentioning his idol Sibusiso Zuma.
“I have asked some guys how old they think I am now, and they have said 31, but I always tell them that I am way older than that. People says I look way young for my age. What keeps me going at my age is that when Rhee [Zuma] was signed by SuperSport coming from Vasco da Gama, he was already old (36), and so I have gained inspiration from that.
“That man used to do extras and his body was also in tip top condition, which motivated me. The way he used to take care of himself was inspiring and it is for that reason that we are still in contact up to this day.
“He still tells me that I shouldn’t allow people to tell me to retire if I feel I can still go on. I never play football thinking about this being my last season,” explains Maluleke.
Unfortunately, this season he has had to deal with the scare of relegation yet again.
From a top half finish last yea, Polokwane have been flirting with the lower half this term and will need to do better than they have done to escape the drop.
“I saw it all when I was at Leopards and so for me, I just have to encourage the boys and keep them focused, motivated and making sure that they work extra. If I can do extras, then why shouldn’t they be doing them as younger players?
“Considering that last season we did well tot finish in the top eight, I will not say we are fighting fi relegation. We must just keep calm. If wew can win three games and get two draws, thent we should be okay. We have talented players who can play so nothing can stop us f from achieving what we want. So, I feel like w we will conquer,” he insists.
However, even when he keeps performing as he nears 40, the reality is that there will come a time when he retires.
As has been witnessed with others before him, life in retirement is never a bed of roses.
“As a footballer this is something that clicks more often,” he admits.
“Even when I was young, I always thought about what I had to do about life after f football. I didn’t only start thinking about life after football now. I have a couple of things t that I am doing away from football.
“How you were brought up influences what becomes of you after football. Your parents w will always play a crucial role in your career. In my first season at Leopards this thing of buying cars was not even on my mind, even t though I knew that one day it will come to happen.
“Buying my first car really came a lot sooner for me because it was suggested by my father that since I am now so far away from home, I needed to get a smallanyana car to use when travelling back home and going to training.
“We had a fight about it because I told him that I am not ready. I was fine with using buses from Venda to Johannesburg and then back again, but my dad felt using public transport will not work for me in the long run.
“I talk to my dad a lot, so much that even when it came to buying a property, I had to consult him and he gave me his blessings. Everything that I do I have to consult him. Even up to now, when I have my own family, I still consult him because we are close.
“I always sit down with him and we talk because I trust his wisdom about life after football. I am grateful to have such a great dad in my life. I have parents that have always showed me life since I was a kid.
“My dad has been influential in my financial decisions which is why I don’t have any money regrets,” he explains.
“I have heard guys complaining about money, but I have always felt that if you start complaining about money you start losing focus on your game. I have always told other players that if you can play and establish yourself, the rest will follow because that is how my career has happened,” he adds.