Vuyo Mere’s long-awaited latest appearance for TS Galaxy has set him up for history in domestic football.
Mere was brought in to play half an hour in his home – Bloemfontein – on Sunday in the 3-0 Nedbank Cup Last 16 win over lower league club D’General.
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It was his first appearance this season, which came just days after he turned 40 on March 5.
Prior to Sunday, Mere had last played over a year ago when he did duty in the same competition against Amavarara.
In taking to the field on Sunday, he became only the eighth player to get minutes with a topflight club after turning 40 throughout the history of the PSL.
Andre Arendse, Bruce Grobbelaar, John Moshoeu, Arthur Bartman, Siyabonga Nomvete, Hans Vonk and Jean Marc-Ithier are the others who played past their 40th birthdays through the PSL era years.
Arendse came back to play just months before he turned 46 when injuries ravaged Bidvest Wits in 2013.
Grobelaar – who was already the head coach – played 18 minutes in the last match of the season for Hellenic against Kaizer Chiefs in April 2002.
He was 44 at that time.
The late Moshoeu was 42 when he last played for AmaZulu FC in May 2008, while Bartman (also late) was also 42 when he played for Golden Arrows in 2014.
Nomvete played topflight football aged 41 at Usuthu in 2019, before going down to Uthongathi FC. Vonk was 41 at Ajax Cape Town in 2011, while Marc-Ithier was months away from turning 41 when he played his last match for Santos in 2006.
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What is remarkable for Mere is that he has played professional since the 2001/02 season when he broke through at Hellenic.
Since then, he has been to Mamelodi Sundowns, Platinum Stars, Moroka Swallows and Wits.
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