Former Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows left back Keegan Ritchie has spoken to the Siya crew about a shop he has opened in Pietermaritzburg, but confirmed that he has not yet retired from the game.
Ritchie has been without a club since leaving Maritzburg United at the end of last season. Maritzburg were relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship and Ritchie did not go down with them, leaving the club along with players such as Alfred Ndengane, Karim Kimvuidi and King Ndlovu.
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At 33, Ritchie believes that there is still a lot he can offer, but he is not the type to sit around and wait for his next move or for a club to make contact. He has kept himself busy doing CrossFit and is also focused on his business that he opened when he joined the Team of Choice.
""I am doing CrossFit and that's keeping me fit. I do compete in a couple of CrossFit. It's quite nice because it gets to my competitive side. It's something that I like to do. I am still in Pietermaritzburg, so I've got a little Vape/Tobacco shop that I opened when I joined Maritzburg United. I just saw a gap in the market. I opened a vape shop.
"It's doing okay. Obviously, it's not doing as well as I was doing in football, but it's maybe a start of a new journey. I am also coaching some kids this side. I do that for a little bit of money, but not a lot. I am doing a couple of things, but a passion of mine is to coach the youth and to help the youngsters to get better and to guide them and put them on the right path. That's what I am passionate about.
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"I am always staying ready and we will see what happens. I also spend time with my boy, which is important. Family comes first. Watching him grow and watching his sports...that's what I am doing with my life at the moment."
As someone who enjoys working with youth players, Ritchie is considering doing his coaching badges.
"I'd love to. It's obviously not cheap to get going with that. But I will definitely do it. I have not put all my energy into that yet, but it's something I want to do. I get into a zone when I am coaching kids."
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