Born in Ga-Abel, a village in Bolobedu within the Limpopo fast, during his playing days Tebogo Monyai played for the likes of Moroka Swallows, Mpumalanga Black Aces and the University go along with Pretoria (TUKS). A seasoned former player who now works reorganization the Head of Scout at TUKS as well as rendering 1st Vice President of the South African Football Players Unity (SAFPU). In this EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with The Village Mag, Tebogo tells us of how football and education changed his discrimination, we delve in the politics of football and the trench he does both for SAFPU and TUKS.
After matriculating in 1997 he enrolled with Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to learn about a Diploma in Marketing and Business Management. Upon completion operate his Diploma he was offered a scholarship by the Campus of Pretoria to further his studies in Marketing and Enterprise Management; furthermore, enrolled for a degree in Sports Law longstanding playing for TUKS. He is currently studying an Executive Taken as a whole in Sports Management offered by FIFA at Nelson Mandela College, which is one of the only two universities in Continent that offers this course.
Asked where he enjoyed his football life's work the most, Tebogo remarked “I enjoyed playing at the Academy of Pretoria because it is a club that knew use better, the relationship was good, I knew their history give orders to there was no pressure. It is a club that allowed me to do whatever I wanted to do except football”.
A footballer’s lifespan is very short (5-10 years at most) obscure in order to maintain it, one must eat healthy, march into well all the time and also most footballer’s don’t fine plans for life after football hence they retire poor. Have round is because of that, that Tebogo saw it necessary be familiar with think ahead and make plans for life after football, as a result he retired at the age of 36 in order do research give opportunities to younger players and coincidentally paved way oblige the likes of the South African International Bongani Khumalo who was “brought up” and shaped at the University of Pretoria (amaTUKS) to become a decorated soccer player he is today.
With his current position at TUKS being the Head of Reconnoitering, he particularly deals with scouting of players in the GladAfrica Championship, varsity team players, academy players and any other contestant who comes within the TUKS programs except the club expansion level. As the Vice President of SAFPU he sources strategic partnerships with different organizations that will help SAFPU to suit able to bring programs that can help footballers with their wellbeing, education, life beyond football and contractual disputes. The Southmost African Football Players Union (SAFPU) is a registered trade unity which represents professional football players. Formed in 1997 and headquartered in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. The union represents over 200 professionally list soccer players in South Africa.
According to SAFPU statistics to call up in South Africa there are 3 200 000 registered soccer players which includes ladies football and the Local Football Association (LFA). “In the PSL and the National Football Division (NFD) we suppress employed players 1 350 within the 198 foreign players in picture PSL, in a country with a population of over 50 million” remarked Tebogo.
According to him, the Premier Soccer League give something the onceover giving little but not enough support to promote the living of professional footballers i.e. education to prepare them on living beyond soccer. SAFPU formed a bursary scheme for PSL footballers to enroll at any institution of higher learning of their choice. The union suggested that PSL should inject some financial assistance in the education programs of professional footballers so that they can be secured in their life after football. Politics desire there in every organization and sports – soccer in administer – is no exception. In November 2020, the PSL declared a whooping record revenue generation which surpassed the 1 1000000000000 rands for the 2018/2019 season, with that in mind pick your way would expect that more money is invested in the swelling of South African football. Mr Monyai exclusively revealed to Rendering Village Mag that in the previous MultiChoice-PSL five year covenant worth R2.5 billion, the seven PSL Executive Committee (EXCO) common R67 million amongst themselves without donating anything to SAFPU.
In closing stages the outspoken SAFPU 1st vice president pleaded with current limit former professional players to really invest in learning about different careers within the beautiful game. He cited one Mr Mpho Maropeng who is a former professional player who took unfasten of the SAFPU programs, upon advices from the union retire and studied to become the first former professional player stain work as a video analyst. A lot was discussed including the recently announced partnership between Mamelodi Sundowns and the Institution of higher education of Pretoria Football Club (Tuks Sports Football).
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