Secrets of the Stars
With Victor Letsoalo (Bloemfontein Celtic)
Bloemfontein Celtic striker Victor Letsoalo reveals some interesting facts about his life.
1 Victor Letsoalo was raised in Ga-Thaba, Ga-Molepo in Limpopo. He was born on April Fool’s Day in 1993. “I grew up with my grandmother because my mother was working and living in Gauteng. I have a younger brother Tebogo, he’s 20 now, and a big family but you won’t want to go into that, it’s unnecessary [laughs].”
2 He attended Moefadi Primary School and then graduated to Zoetfontein Secondary School, where he matriculated in 2012. “My favourite subject was Geography because the teacher was good. After Matric I just went into football but definitely I still want to go and study Sports Management one day.”
3 The 28-year-old has been playing professional football for the last seven years, having started with Baroka in the 2014/15 National First Division season. “I played in my village for amateur teams, then I went to Polokwane to play for Peace United in the Castle League in December 2013, and that’s where I was spotted by the Baroka chairman Khurushi Mphahlele.”
4 Letsoalo recalls his first pair of boots being the Nike Tiempos, which were made famous by the likes of Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, when he just made it pro back in early 2014. “Those boots were very nice; I was scoring goals for fun in them when I got to Baroka in the First Division. Even today, Nike boots are still my favourite and I’d love to get sponsored.”
5 When he first signed for Baroka, he agreed to a modest monthly salary, but this didn’t deter him from going all out with his first pay cheque. “My first contract was worth R4,000 per month, and the first thing I bought was a TV and a bed. I still have that LG TV back home in Ga-Thaba, and it still works.”
6 His first car was a Polo R-line, which he bought for around R300,000 but later sold to build his mother a house back in Ga-Molepo. “That car was expensive man, so I decided to take it back so that I could build my mom a house instead. So even now, I don’t have a car, but I use my agent’s car, especially when I travel to visit at home.”
7 Letsoala enjoys playing tennis in his spare time away from the football pitch, and does so with friends outside of his teammates too. “I just like tennis, I’m not very good at it but I have fun when I’m playing. My friends and I go to the tennis club nearby and just go and enjoy ourselves.”
8 If it wasn’t for football, he’s not sure what he would have done as a career, but says he wanted to be a pilot, even though he came to realise that he hates flying. “Brother, I actually wanted to be a pilot when I was younger, but the first time I got on a flight I realised I was lying to myself [laughs]. I would say, if it wasn’t for football, maybe I would have wanted to be a doctor now.”
9 He has one child, a four-year-old daughter, with a past girlfriend and is not yet married. “I’m not married yet, but I have a beautiful daughter. She’s four now and she lives with her mother in Polokwane. It’s difficult because I’m always travelling, so ja, I see get to see her when I have a few days off and during off-season.”
10 Letsoalo recalls one eye-opening incident from his teenage years, which in some form shaped the kind of person he is today. “I think one memory that stands out is my first girlfriend from high school, she cheated on me with this other guy in Ga-Thaba. I remember I even called my cousin, and we went to this guy’s place, we threw stones at the house until they came outside, and we had a big argument. But that day I learnt about girls, that you have to respect their choices and you can’t force things in life.”