Makhehlene Makhaula has opened up about the moment he nearly gave up on his career, only to find himself on the books of one of South Africa’s biggest clubs at an age when most footballers are thinking about retirement.
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The Orlando Pirates stalwart, who turns 36 in November, has been one of the key figures in the Buccaneers’ resurgence.
Since arriving, he has already lifted three trophies and was recently named Betway Premiership Midfielder of the Season. But the veteran admits he initially questioned whether he still had a place at the highest level.
“I remember wanting to give up,” Makhaula said in Pirates’ documentary Giants.
“I thought it was over. From Highlands Park to COVID, to the team getting sold. When my agent called me, he said, ‘Cash, Pirates want to sign you.’ I told him, ‘No way.’
“I told him I was 34. How could Pirates want me when I was 34? There were a lot of headlines, some were negative, saying that Makhaula is old and stuff but we thank God and our ancestors, who we always make requests to. They know the paths they have set for us.”
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