The rich tapestry of South African football is intertwined with stories of incredible talent — yet, woven into this narrative is a darker theme: the struggle with discipline that has marred the careers of numerous players.
Over the past 30 years, the beautiful game has seen its fair share of athletes fall victim to the bottle, ultimately failing to fulfil their potential. We take a look at five notable South African footballers whose ambitions were overshadowed by disciplinary issues that prevented them from ascending to the heights many believed they could reach.
At the forefront of this discussion is former Kaizer Chiefs star Jabu Mahlangu, a name synonymous with brilliance and heart-wrenching underachievement. Originally known as Jabu Pule, this gifted midfielder was the darling of the footballing world — a player renowned for his sublime skills and flair on the ball.
However, off the pitch, Mahlangu battled personal demons, often prioritising the bottle over training. His erratic commitment to the game led to an inconsistent career, marked by fleeting appearances and missed opportunities.
Fortunately, Mahlangu's narrative isn’t purely one of loss; he has since completely transformed his life and now stands as a respected television pundit, eagerly sharing his experiences to guide and mentor young footballers and steer them away from the pitfalls he encountered.
Four other talented footballers who struggled throughout their careers
Lerato Chabangu
How Lerato Chabangu’s career turned out is one of the most painful stories. Throughout his career, Chabangu was a tricky winger who kept fans on their feet while running circles around his opponents.
He played in the top flight for a good 13 years, winning one league title, and also has an MTN8 winners' medal to his name. On the international stage, he won 31 caps for Bafana Bafana in a career that many footballers can only dream of.
In one of his earlier low points, Chabangu had to sit out the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after sustaining a knee injury while playing for the Brazilians. At that time, Chabangu had been a regular fixture for Bafana, and his selection for the tournament would have been expected.
It was his trouble dealing with missing the World Cup that led Chabangu down the path he did.
"I was supposed to play at the World Cup. I was in the structure of playing 2010 World Cup, but now I dont' play," Chabangu said on the PrimesSportsWithMahlatse YouTube channel two years ago.
"I was supposed to go to stadiums and said, 'no, this thing will make me cry. Let me watch on TV, let me drink'. The guys were telling me I have to be there but I was injured. So, I was like 'ah, let me take it out on booze'."
Today, despite a long career at the very top, Chabangu has nothing to show for it after losing everything following some bad decisions.
Junior Khanye
Like Jabu Mahlangu, Junior Khanye was a prodigious talent who came through the ranks at Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs. With the ball at his feet, Khanye was a magician who could do it all. He had great turn of pace, could change direction at the drop of a hat, and could get the crowd going.
Like Mahlangu, had he stayed on the straight and narrow path, he could have got to the very top.
"I had about 15 accidents and in all of them I was drunk. I grew up in a bad background. I made many mistakes, sleeping with many women without protection. Looking back now, some of my friends passed away in accidents while I rolled over 15 times. That made me strong," Khanye said when speaking at an event to raise awareness about alcohol abuse three years ago.
Like Mahlangu, Khanye has turned his life around and is now also a respected pundit.
Mkhanyiseli Siwahla
Siwahla made history when he made his debut for Ajax Cape Town at the age of 15 back in 2004.
The young Siwahla was an insanely talented midfielder who had the football world at his feet.
He never reached his potential at Ajax, though, and after bouncing around different clubs in the PSL, it was at Mpumalanga Black Aces in 2014 that everything came crashing down.
He was released by the club after a number of disciplinary issues, including arriving to training reportedly under the influence of alcohol.
After a brief stint in Europe, he hung up his boots in 2019. Now aged 36, Siwahla has returned to the pitch and currently turns out for North West ABC Motsepe league side Lerumo Lions.
Mbulelo Mabizela
Mbulelo Old John Mabizela was plucked out of relative obscurity by Orlando Pirates, but by the time he was 23, he had captained the club to a league title. Oh, and he was also named captain of the national team by then head coach Stuart Baxter. It seemed the world was his oyster.
In 2003, Tottenham Hotspur came to South Africa, and after taking one look at Mabizela in a pre-season friendly match against Pirates, decided he would be on the plane with them back to London.
His debut for the Premier League club is the stuff of legend. With Spurs trailing in a game against Leicester City, Mabizela came off the bench and rifled in the equaliser from outside of the 18-yard area. The Londoners would go on to win the game 2-1.
That moment was as good as it got for him. He struggled to adjust in London, finding solace in the bottle.
In 2006 he was back in South Africa hoping to get his career back on track, but he continued to struggle. Mabizela quit the game in 2016, and now offers advice to youngsters about the pitfalls of alcohol abuse.
Masibusane Zongo
Big things were expected from Masibusane Zongo when he came on the scene for SuperSport United as a teenager. A magician with the ball at his feet, Zongo was invited to trial with Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur while at the Pretoria club, but by then, his discipline was already an issue.
He bounced around in the PSL but never managed to stay with one club for a prolonged amount of time.
While his career was short, Zongo is mostly remembered for his exploits for Platinum Stars in a 2012/13 game against Kaizer Chiefs where he left Keegan Ritchie, Sphiwe Tshabalala and S'thembiso Ngcobo tripping over their feet as they struggled to get the ball off him.
IOL Sport