Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Teenage Hadebe was all smiles on Thursday morning as his MLS club FC Cincinnati got past Inter Miami.
It was a 3-0 score at the end of the game for Cincinnati with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez failing to find the net after both played 90 minutes at the TQL Stadium.
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Messi had scored 11 goals in the last six MLS games prior to facing Hadebe’s team, who are second in the Eastern Conference, just a point behind Philadelphia Union.
Hadebe was introduced on the hour mark, replacing Kei Kamara in a tactical switch which had an attacker going out and a defender being brought in with the scores at 2-0.
The Bulawayo-born defender stood his ground at the back for the rest of the match, helping his team keep a famous clean sheet.
Besides Messi and Suarez, Inter Miami had all their top names, who include Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, while Javier Mascherano was on the touchline as head coach.
Hadebe – who has played 18 games this season – is still above the R1 million per month salary cap at FC Cincinnati.
The earnings of all players with MLS contracts is public information, which is regularly updated and categorised as current annual base salary and annual average guaranteed compensation.
The 29-year-old’s numbers in his MLS contract read USD704 952 (approx. R12,6 million) per annum as his base salary.
He moves up to USD854 952 (approx. R15,3 million) per annum as his guaranteed compensation, which includes marketing bonus and any agent fees.
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However, this figure does not include performance bonuses, just like it doesn't include any contracts with individual teams or their affiliates.
As expected, Messi rules in the MLS with earnings of USD20,4 million (approx. R366 million) per annum.
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