A "Thank You" to Siyabonga Bhele Nomvethe

In South Africa, you are either too young or too old. How often have we seen players not reaching their full potential not because of life outside football but because of the "stigma" they carry of if you are 30+ then in South Africa you are finished! Players need to be allowed to come off age.

Think of the younger Josta Dladla in a Bidvest Wits shirt, one would feel the lad was robbed of many Bafana Bafana caps and he even with not much hype went overseas or was this all happening because he was playing for the "wrong team"?

So he came back and played for a supposedly right team in Mamelodi Sundowns, I think he was at 27 then and when Sundowns were chasing the league in that year if my memory serves me right there was a time he scored 5 goals in 7 games and we saw plug cards ko stadiums written "Chesa Josta" and even on that rich form he was ignored by our national selectors.

Lucky Lekgwathi the most successful captain of Orlando Pirates of all time has lived on a very structured season to season contract, Sfiso Vilakazi's proposal of a 2-3 year contract was blatantly refused by Wits and instead they went for a one, they did the something with Marawaan Bantam and Sundowns were also scared off by Dillion Shepperd's age and decided against renewing his contract. John “Shoes” Mosheu was forced out of Kaizer Chiefs because of?? Yes dats right! He was over "30".

While "we" are still stuck in that pathetic trend, around the world we are seeing 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 olds getting new contracts even in the 2010 World Cup we've seen 30 something players doing duty for their national teams even better than our "youngerstars".

What Bhele has done is throwing a life-line to all the 30 something yr old players in South Africa, this will surely remove the stereo type out there gore once you hit 30 your football career is in ICU, over and above that you are finished and a high risk to your contracted team.

Bhele has opened the eyes of Pitso Mosimane, Doctor Khumalo, Roger De Sa and many blind football fans who didn't know experience is indeed the best! SIYABONGA Nomvethe!

By Xilla Tutu