Zothwane is delighted to give back what the game gave him

Former Golden Arrows and Bafana Bafana midfielder Papi Zothwane is enjoying coaching in the MultiChoice Diski Challenge, and does not want to think too much about what the future holds.

Zothwane returned to Arrows, where he made 113 appearances and scored 13 goals, to begin his coaching career at the start of the 2016/17 season.

“I want to approach being a coach the same way I approached playing football. All I did was identify the potential I had as a player and I gave it a try. After I stopped playing I wanted to test my character as a coach and I thought I could do it so I started attending courses, and Arrows were there to give me a chance, so I would see where it took me,” said Zothwane.

Looking back on his decision to retire in his early 30s, Zothwane says it was influenced by planning for life after football. Feeling that playing was preventing him from looking after his business interests and his family, Zothwane opted for securing his family’s future by cutting his career short.

The 36-year-old’s return as a coach was sparked by the game’s ability to change a person’s life, imparting the wealth of knowledge he had picked up through his personal experiences. The opportunity club owner Mato Madlala presented him with saw him move from Bophelong in the Vaal to Lamontville in KwaZulu-Natal.

“I could have joined Arrows a while ago, but I asked her to hold the offer for some time so I could take care of a few things. Retiring was unplanned for me, I looked at some of the investments I had made at the time and I could tell I might never get the money back that I put in. I had several projects I had put money into. So I focused on a few businesses I had, the properties I had, my shisanyama business in Bophelong to make sure my family and I would live comfortably after I retired.

“Yes, I had financial challenges when I stopped playing, but I had never been someone who lives extravagantly, I would have about R10 000 to 15 000 a month and I was used to getting around R30 000 to 50 000 as a salary,” said Zothwane.

The devoted husband runs a clothing business with his wife out of their homes in Bophelong and KZN with plans of opening a retail store in his hometown. Zothwane says it is important to add the “human touch” to mentoring players as a coach, having been on both sides of the fence.

“Having played football helps to make a difference in the players lives, you get to understand them psychologically and where they come from influences the people they are now. You become a teacher – as a coach you get to touch the players’ lives and become the person they can count on. You can be a coach but as a human being you can also help change their lives, which is what led to me coming here and working in the club’s development structures. I saw an opportunity, that the club’s development is growing and I will grow with it,” concluded Zothwane.