He has not officially called time on his playing career, but former Orlando Pirates and Swallows FC attacker Lebohang Mokoena has started preparing for the next chapter of his life.
Mokoena has not played at a professional level since leaving Swallows FC (now Moroka Swallows) at the end of the 2021/22 season.
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The 37-year-old, who also played for Mamelodi Sundowns, has completed his SAFA D-license coaching course and wants to use it, at some point, to help the next generation of footballers to prepare for life in the professional ranks, which is not always easy.
"It's just the beginning because I was once told that when I am done playing football, I should go straight to doing the C-license. But I always believe in starting from the basics and getting the basics right and I can only learn from that so that I can grow as a person and as a coach and as somebody who wants to see South African football improve," Mokoena told the Siya crew.
"I can't let 19 years of football go down the drain because I am upset about how things ended up. I think we all go through that as footballers, but we need to step. Even if I do not coach at the highest level, but I can at least prepare them (youngsters) for what's coming, so for me it's about getting the knowledge and getting to understand the game. I am not in a rush to coach anywhere. Hopefully, once I have the experience, then maybe I can be on the bench with a top coach and still learn from that."
Mokoena is already looking forward to getting his next coaching qualification, showing just how determined he is to go through the entire process of gaining the required knowledge.
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"I've loved football from a young age and now it's on to the next one. The next one is to get the CAF C-license and see where that takes me, and try to improve the players and the game, not only on the football, but the social aspect as well, which is something we miss in our football. We need to prepare the players. We are a big country in Africa and we need to do right."
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