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Throwback Thursday: Clement Mazibuko left Kaizer Chiefs without playing an official game

Having been born in Benoni, like every child raised in a township, Clement Mazibuko grew up playing nothing but football.

His first professional club was Kaizer Chiefs, even though he never got to play any official games for the senior team.

"I think it was around the 1997 season, when I was promoted to the Chiefs senior team and Paul Dolezar was the coach," Mazibuko tells snl24.com/kickoff as he reflects.

"Though they recognized my talent, the thing is that at the time I was a striker and they had a lot of good players in that position, and I was just a boy that time. They had big names there, so it was very difficult to crack into the team."

Mazibuko further reveals why he did not leave the Amakhosi on good terms.

"Eish, it was a very complicated thing because the contract that I had, I signed it while I was still playing in the reserve team. Then there was an opportunity that came from Bush Bucks, and I left without their [Chiefs management's] consent," he reveals.

"And they only found out after I went to Bush Bucks – I trained for a week with Bush Bucks, only to find out that my first game would be against Chiefs, so they found out when they saw me on the field. 

"They protested, but Bush Bucks won the case because the contract I had with Chiefs, I was under age when I signed it. So, that's how I managed to continue with Bush Bucks."

The 43-year-old former right-winger also reveals his first salary of his professional career at Bucks.

"At Kaizer Chiefs, we received allowances. My first stable salary I got from Bush Bucks. I think I got R3000 – that was in 1998. 'Till this day, I'm still asking myself how I managed to survive with that, because at the end of the day I'd be left with R500 after sending money home.

"Then I was the first player [Patrice] Motsepe brought in when he took over, though I can't remember what Sundowns gave me as a salary, but honestly it was a huge jump from what I got at Bush Bucks. 

"After Sundowns, I went to Greece to join Ergotelis, then I came back again to Sundowns. Then it was Thanda Royal Zulu and after that it was Batau FC. I think I won two league titles in my career, and two Charity Cups also."

Mazibuko remains unmarried but has two boys, who he says are both interested in following in his footsteps.

"These days, I'm with SuperSport Soccer School – I'm a coach there. I'm also involved with an organisation called Dream Field, as a scout. It's a national organisation and we travel all over the country [to find talent]."

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