Soccer players their own worst enemies
Firstly, congratulations to Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe for being appointed president of the South African Football Players Union (Safpu).
It was confusing though, reading the article titled “Safpu new president adamant PSL strike viable”. A former player we all loved and enjoyed watching, Lerato Chabangu, is broke.
However, something was not clear. The president has demands not mentioned in the article, which, if not met, will result in the whole football sector going on strike (I suppose he means his union members).
He wants to stop the rot and make sure players don’t go broke. Where exactly does the rot lie?
Players, especially those that have played for big teams, receive a salary like all of us and decide to use it the way they want. They know that clubs want you while you can still perform, but when your performance declines, they look for younger players to replace you. It’s the nature of a game.
The article does say that Chabangu admitted to misusing his money on alcohol and women.
Gaoshubelwe says he wants to show players that the power lies with them – I hope not by striking.
The problem with most players starts once they realise their talent in soccer and start disregarding school.
Gaoshubelwe would do well to start a programme which teaches players to prepare for life after football. Good luck, Gaoshubelwe. Nothing is impossible.
Mandla Radebe, Norkem Park, Ekurhuleni