Players must plan for future

Former Mamelodi Sundowns winger Koketso Mmotong (right) says football agents need to start serving the interests of the players before they look to cash in when a transfer deal goes through.

Mmotong has, however, pleaded with fans to reserve judgment when it comes to players moving to clubs which are perceived to pay better than most, stating that football is a short career and playing professionally and earning big money is seen as a way to break the circle of poverty by many young South Africans.

Mmotong earned a high-profile move to Sundowns in 2008 after impressing for Platinum Stars, but was never able to tie down a regular place in the first team, and his career never really recovered.

He says money was not the only reason for his move but says the desire to grow as a footballer and the chance to play for Sundowns, who he wanted to play for as a young boy growing up, was also too good to turn down.

“I moved because I wanted to find a new challenge at a new club. Then you get to another club and things don’t go well and you are forced to leave because there is little game time. I thought it wasn’t fair to be at a club where I wasn’t playing.”

The Mamelodi-born winger feels he was ultimately forced to retire as there were no clubs interested in signing him when he was out of contract and on the wrong side of 30.

Mmotong says clubs should invest in helping their players prepare for retirement and create a retirement scheme for them.

This would save footballers the embarrassment of living in financial ruin once they retire.

“Sometimes the focus is only on age, they don’t look at what you can still do. I wasn’t prepared financially and that created problems.”

Mmotong spoke about some of the challenges he faced, revealing that he isolated himself from people and stayed indoors to avoiding meeting people who would recognise him and ask about his life and why he wasn’t on the field anymore.

The former Silver Stars winger says he was reminded of that dark time in his life when he learned of Lerato Chabangu.

“I started a restaurant and pub business in Mamelodi while I was playing, I couldn’t manage it properly because I was focused on football, so I was not handson and that was one of the reasons it didn’t work. By the time I was ready to retire to focus on it, the damage was done. If you employ family members, money is evil and nothing is guaranteed. I lost everything after that business closed down.”

The 39-year-old decided to enquire about getting a coaching licence, starting off with local clubs in the township before applying for a job at Tshwane South College, where he is now employed as a development coach.