With most former players struggling to maintain themselves after their last playing contracts, former Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele has revealed why.
Most players in the PSL have their careers cut shorter than they anticipated, as after the age of 30, it has become a norm for clubs to give them short term deals and at some point they even struggle to find clubs, especially after leaving the bigger teams.
Players such as Thuso Phala, Mpho Makola, Lebohang Mokoena, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Itumeleng Khune, including Jele, to name a few, felt they had mileage to still continue playing but could not find clubs who could put them on their payroll.
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Recently, Khune announced a partnership with betting company Topbet, where he is a co-owner and also an ambassador, after Kaizer Chiefs did not renew his playing contract.
However, according to Jele, South African players react to the reality of life after football too late.
"We always tell players how to invest but we don't tell them how to invest money, that's the most important thing, because anyone can invest and say put it in the bank but how much are you going to get as interest? And the money you saved won't last you two years [after you retire]," Jele said on Smash Sports YouTube Channel.
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"You need to find something that can generate money so that at a later stage you know the train has been moving, even if you stop.
"Our mistake as players is that in the last two years or one year, we want to catch up to all the mistakes we've done in the previous years. In your last year if you think you going to catch up with the money or mistakes you've done before, its not going to happen," Jele said, who has not found a club since parting ways with Royal AM in June last year.
Khune, 37, could have sacrificed his playing career by association with Topbet, as according to FIFA regulations, players are prohibited from having stakes or interest with betting companies.
The former Bafana Bafana shot-stopper felt he could still continue playing, with the likes of Denis Onyango still playing at 39 at Mamelodi Sundowns.
