Mihlali and Mark Mayambela with their mother, Lungiswa.
Soccer players are notorious for playing the field, boozing and blowing their hard-earned cash on material things and not saving up for rainy days.
And, as result, over the years Mzansi has seen a long list of former soccer stars either retiring or dying as paupers despite having made it big in both the local and international leagues.
But one player who is grateful for having been given a second opportunity in life is former Orlando Pirates, Bloemfontein Celtics, Chippa United, Ajax Cape Town, Cape Town City FC and Supersport United dribbling wizard Mark Mayambela.
Dubbed “Professor”, Mayambela, who also turned out for Djurgardens IF in Sweden, had soccer fans eating from the palm of his hands due to his amazing skills.
It therefore came as a shock when the 35-year-old Khayelitsha-born player announced his retirement from the beautiful game last year.
In a wide-ranging interview with Vukani this week, Mayambela spoke about living his coaching dream, his faith and turning his life around.
Once counted among Mzansi’s bad boys, Mayambela admits he too could have easily been another “soccer history dustbin case” had God not saved him.
Like many players, he said he was once caught up in the glitzy footballers’ lives.
“In this game (of football) you attract all sorts of friends once you become a famous footballer. You get invited to parties and you end up falling into this whole ‘celebrity’ lifestyle. I was no exception. But thanks God I came into my senses before it was too late,” he said.
The lanky ex-footballer, who holds a UEFA (B) coaching licence, said he has got his mother, Lungiswa, to be thankful to for the man he has now become.
A staunch Zion Christian Church member, Lungiswa encouraged both her famous soccer star sons, Mark and his younger brother Mihlali to put God in everything they do.
And, Mayambela said when the chips were down in his soccer career he was reminded of his mother's words.
“That's when I decided to give my life to God and let Him take control of my life. Football is not a lifetime career as everything can change within the blink of an eye. Not all footballers are fortunate to have something to fall back on when their playing days are over. But God opened doors for me and I managed to realise my dream of coaching. As the U-19 coach at Cape Town City FC, it feels good to work with all these talented youngsters. We've got such an abundance of soccer talent that still needs to be unearthed. I am taken aback everyday by the talent that we've got out there,” he says.
These days Mayambela said he enjoys nothing more than spending quality time with his 10-year-old son Lonwabo and going to his ZCC church.
He is also proud of his younger brother, Mihlali, whom he describes as being “easy to advise on life matters”.
The Bafana Bafana star, Mihlali, currently plays for Cypriot club, Aris Limassol.
“He doesn't drink or smoke. And what more encouragement or advice can you offer such a highly disciplined person? He breathes football. I'm proud of the man he has become. With his strong will to survive he is still gonna achieve great things,” said Mayambela proudly.
Nothing fulfills his heart more than having realised his dream of building his mother a beautiful house in Litha Park.
“We grew up in a shack and often went to bed hungry. But when I signed my first professional contract with Bloemfontein Celtics, I told myself that I will put a smile in my mother's face for all the sacrifices she made for myself and my siblings,” he said.