South African Soccer Stars Who Retired In 2019
Is there a common time when footballers decide to call it a day? Is it one size fits all, or is there some variation to the time limits imposed on a player’s career? There are two main reasons why footballers decide to call it a day: Injury and old age. Obviously there is no telling when the first one may strike.
Should a player pick up an injury that ends their career then the decision of when to walk away from the game is taken out of their hands by fate.
It is also no secret that the levels of money in the modern game are obscene when you’re looking at top-flight football hence players retire to focus on their investment, whilst it also comes as a huge surprise that despite the huge earnings in football some players file for bankruptcy or receive paupers’ burial having hit hard times in the last days of their lives.
Claims are also abound among critics that, the local game had a bad habit of forgetting former players who gave their all to take the game to its current astronomical levels.
Footballers rather than relying on benevolence of good Samaritans and well-wishers should be pro-active in creating their own future outside of mainstream football whilst they are still playing such that when injury or time to call it quits comes they have a swift transition that poses little headaches or anxiety.
Teko Modise
The 36-year-old enjoyed an illustrious career and cemented his legendary status in South Africa, plying his trade for Bafana Bafana, SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City.
Modise was one of the most accomplished players in South African football.
The midfielder has won every trophy on offer in the local game, winning the league twice during his 6-year stint at Mamelodi Sundowns.
His time at Masandawana brought the most success in his club career, winning the Nedbank Cup, Telkom Knockout, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Super Cup.
During his time at Pirates, Modise won the inaugural PSL Footballer of the Year award in the 2007-08 season as well as the MTN 8 and Telkom Charity Cup.
Modise made his debut for Bafana Bafana on 26 May 2007 against Malawi in the Cosafa Cup.
The 36-year-old would go on to make 66 appearances for the national side, scoring 10 goals in 5 years at the heart of South Africa’s midfield.
The two-time PSL Footballer of the Year is now a motivational speaker, Cape Town City ambassador, a pundit and a soccer commentator on local radio to expand on his vast and diverse portfolio.
Tlou Molekwane
Ex-Amakhosi defender Tlou Molekwane hung up his boots despite being just 30 years old having represented Kaizer Chiefs, Polokwane City, Bidvest Wits and Bloemfontein Celtic.
Molekwane suffered very nasty injuries during his career that forced him to call time on his game.
Upon his retirement, he says he hated feeling like he was, not giving his all in training and official matches.
In a career spanning nine years, Molekwane says he has no regrets, just disappointments with the injuries that prevented him from playing long term until the decison to quit football in August 2019.
Paulus Masehe
Having made his debut at Mamelodi Sundowns in February 2003 – some 16 years ago now, Masehe spent 18 months at Pirates before moving to Free State Stars in 2008‚ where he cemented his profile and status in the game as became the engine room of Ea Lla Koto until its demotion from the top flight league.
He has been a league champion before with Sundowns in 2006 but his finest achievement came in 2018 when he led Stars to the Nedbank Cup trophy after securing a 1-0 win over Maritzburg United in the final in Cape Town.
Masehe and his teammates at the Bethlehem-based outfit suffered heartbreak on the final day of the season in May when they fell from the PSL Promotion/Relegation Play-Off spot of 15th place to the automatic drop zone of 16th, ending their 12-year association with South Africa’s top-flight league.
Siyabonga Nomvethe
The KwaMashu-born former Bafana striker first hit the headlines with African Wanderers in 1996 and went on to play for Kaizer Chiefs‚ Italy’s Udinese and Salernitana‚ Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows among others over the years.
Nicknamed “Bhele” for his prowess on the pitch‚ Nomvethe also played for Djurgaden in Sweden and Aalborg BK in Denmark.
Following a career spanning over two decades, Nomvethe is the highest and all-time goal scorer in the PSL after netting a mammoth 121 goals.
The 41-year-old is highly recognized for his contribution to the game and cemented his legendary status for serving as a role model to youngsters for being a true professional and only quitting at the age of 41.
He was the PSL’s Footballer of the Season at the age of 34 seven years ago while in Swallows’ books after scoring 20 league goals while helping his club to finish two points behind Orlando Pirates.
The soft-spoken Nomvethe has played 82 matches for Bafana scoring 16 goals.
He won the Danish Championship with Aalborg in 2004-05 and the MTN8 with Swallows in 2013-14 among the many trophies he has won at club level.
By Gerald Dandah
