PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 08: Lerato Chabangu during the Absa Premiership match between University of Pretoria and Moroka Swallows at Tuks Stadium on April 08, 2014 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
It’s very rare that ex-football players would want absolutely nothing to do with the game they had spent half their life on.
After retirement, former players tend to take comfort in their memories, many become well-known respected figures in the football fraternity but Lerato Chabangu doesn’t want to even own soccer boots anymore, nor does he want to wear gear.
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Chabangu’s personal life, his difficult times off the pitch has been discussed in the media lately. Despite his current status, the player nicknamed ‘All You Need is Love’ is fondly remembered to have dazzled the South African public in the colours of Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Moroka Swallows and Chippa United.
Now, he speaks about why he can’t handle his football memories.
“I don’t own a single pair of soccer boots, when I’m called to play soccer, I come up with excuses, when they give me soccer shorts, I pass them onto my brothers,” Chabangu said on the ‘I blew it’ show on Mzansi Magic.
“I don’t wear any soccer gear because it’s a painful reminder that I once had a lot of things but now they’re gone,” he added.
Before signing for Sundowns, the Tembisa-born talks about possibly joining Premier League giants Chelsea after going on trial in England. This was following a stellar season with the University of Pretoria in the PSL.
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According to Chabangu, a move didn’t materialise due to being termed “too young”.
“That year was a busy year for me, I won a lot of trophies at Tuks. I was scouted and moved to Chelsea while playing for Tuks. I realised that life was going to be good. I was ambitious enough to want to go that side,” he said.
“But I was young and had a lot of growing up to do. I went back to Tuks. After some time, I was called up for COSAFA while we were there, they said Sundowns wanted to sign me.
“I signed my contract in Mauritius. I remember my first game at Sundowns was at HM Pitje we were playing against (Jomo) Cosmos, I started on the bench, when I came in I scored two goals.
“I scored again in the second game, (and) I was never substituted that season at the age of 20,” Chabangu further stated.
That was indeed an impressive feat for a player so young in South Africa. Chabangu represented Bafana Bafana at the 2008 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
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