“I Wish I Could Help,” Former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula On Club Deprived George Lebese
The massive slide into football oblivion and obscurity for one of the brightest prospects of South African football George Lebese has divided opinion in football circles with former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula adding his voice to the chorus after a bare it all interview the former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns player had on Thursday Night Live on Marawa TV with veteran sportscaster Robert Marawa.
Lebese’s revelations that no club has come to enquire about prospects of signing him, his confessions of his mistakes off the field and that he has no agent to help him look for a club touched many hearts and belies the massive football talent the skilful left winger possesses.
Mbalula who is now the Transport Minister shared his sentiments on the Lebese issue on Twitter to cap off the feelings prevailing amongst many South Africans soccer fans with regards to losing talented players such as Lebese who was released from his unhappy spell at Mamelodi Sundowns after his bit part role at the Chloorkop based side.
“Sad for this young man really sad I wish i could help, I personally hate to see talent go to waist he deserve a second chance in life i wish him luck…God speed. All humans are infalliable no one is perfect George lebese goodluck” said Mbalula on his Twitter account.
Lebese did acknowledge that he made mistakes that have come to haunt his football career but he really needs to find an agent to help him nail a deal lest he falls the Tefu Mashamaite or Mandla Masango way whose abyss may be hard to emerge from and with age also catching up with the star it is indeed a scary prospect that we might not be able to see his dazzling skills in football stadia across the country once again.
Kaizer Chiefs‚ Amakhosi legend Jabu Mahlangu most recently as a word to other young footballers seeking to navigate the hard and fast lane of professional football with huge monetary incentives and bonuses that often blind footballers’ from their core business shared his opinion on the Lebese issue.
Mahlangu noted that Lebese’s off the field shenanigans had definitely played a huge part in destroying his career and the legend can relate better having walked down the same path during his playing days where he had a relationship more with the bottle than the football pitch in the process throwing his career down the drain .
“And it’s good. They must use me as an example. If they [players] want to call me‚ I will tell them‚ ‘If you live like this‚ you won’t go anywhere’.
“I always speak about things that people don’t want to speak about. Especially when I can relate – because I’ve played. Discipline off the field killed George at Chiefs. I won’t say what he was doing. When I say off the field – ill-discipline‚ sleeping early in the mornings. That’s a fact….So‚ off the field discipline was a big problem” said Mahlangu.
By Gerald Dandah
