Matsatsantsa host Gabonese whipping boys FC Mounana in a must-win tie at the Lucas Moripe Stadium tomorrow (15h30).
'Yeye' – who has had an illustrious career – turned 35 last month and is tomorrow due to reach 300 starts, which he will definitely be hoping comes with the ‘topping’ of qualification for the quarter-finals of the continent’s second-tier club competition.
At present Yeye has loaded up 299 starts (with a return of 36 goals) stretching back to his first start on August 27, 2006 when he was still turning out for Jomo Cosmos.
Born in Jabavu and raised in Meadowlands, Soweto – Yeye actually broke through into the PSL during the 2003-04 season but it was just two substitute appearances while at Hellenic.
He then went to play for Dangerous Darkies and PJ Stars in the First Division before joining Cosmos in 2006 where he finally managed his first start in the PSL, which was against AmaZulu.
Two productive seasons with Ezenkosi then led to a move to Kaizer Chiefs where he spent eight years before joining his current employers at the beginning of last season.
Dismissed by the pessimists – who judge based on age – as being over the hill upon his departure from AmaKhosi – he has proven those critics wrong.
A year into his stay at SuperSport he has started 41 games in all competitions and few will dispute his standing as a genuine senior statesman in domestic football whose wisdom and qualities on the field shouldn’t be questioned that much.
Yeye has won all the four domestic competitions, the league title, MTN8, Telkom Knockout, Nedbank Cup and through that time has won 54 caps for Bafana Bafana.
In reaching 300 starts Yeye will join an exclusive group of players to surpass that mark still doing duty in domestic football. They are Moeneeb Josephs, Vuyo Mere, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Hlompho Kekana, Daine Klate and Siboniso Gaxa.