Former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates striker Lehlohonolo Majoro says, like Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, players shouldn’t be rushed into retiring.
Majoro, 38, who started his professional career at the age of 24, featured for AmaZulu (two stints), both Soweto sides, Cape Town City and Bidvest Wits, but finds himself a free agent after his contract was not renewed by Usuthu last year, which has prompted him to start his coaching badges, obtaining a CAF C licence and is also one of the MTN8 Ambassadors this season.
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The Ladybrand-born forward spoke to iDiski Times senior writer Velile Mnyandu in edition 171 of the newspaper where the issue of retirement was brought up. He expressed how he finds it odd that as soon as a player is of a certain age in South Africa and/or out of contract, the first thing people suggest is retirement.
‘Major’ made an example with the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend who is a year older than him and still playing professionally and still setting targets, how people are cheering instead trying to get him out of the game, adding that he understands that careers, end but feels players should have the liberty to say when.
“Here’s a thing – most people feel like it’s easy for you to say, ‘I’m done with football’ Majoro told iDiski Times.
“Just because I couldn’t get a contract extension, it doesn’t mean I can say I’m done with football. It’s not that easy, you cannot just abandon this beautiful game, this is the game that we all know, we have fallen into habits of doing what footballers do, waking up every morning and going to training.
“It takes 30 days for you to fall into a habit, what more about 10 years, what more about 12 years?
“So, I think people expect us to easily say, just because I couldn’t get a contract extension, I must wake up in the morning, and my age is in a certain age category where people say you are supposed to be retiring. I have no problem with that; everything comes to an end, but I don’t want to be rushed into saying the words that people want me to say.
“And I think, I’m not the only one who has been saying this, you’ve just mentioned some of my colleagues in football, who have also not mentioned if they are retiring or not.
“Cristiano Ronaldo just said he wants to score 1,000 goals in his career, but he’s only just reached 900 goals, no one is saying anything about that.”
