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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Mashamaite explains why he did not announce his retirement </li><li>The former Bafana defender won several trophies with Chiefs</li><li>The 39-year-old last played in the ABC Motsepe League</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite explains why 'there is no point' in announcing a footballer's retirement in South Africa

Former Kaizer Chiefs center-back Tefu Mashamaite has revealed why he didn't officially announce hanging up his boots.The 39-year-old former defender captained Amakhosi between 2011 and 2015 before he left for Swedish club BK Hacken. In 2017 he returned to South Africa at SuperSport United but after two injury-riddled seasons he signed for ABC Motsepe League team Baberwa FC, before disappearing from the football scene.

WHAT HAPPENED?

"For me, it was a series of things that led me into deciding to hang my boots," Mashamaite said on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybqSmW1RaC4" target="_blank">Sports Talk With Big Joe</a> podcast."I got injured in Sweden and when I came back, I got injured at SuperSport United twice. So within a period of two seasons, I had three injuries that required me to do operations."My career has never been the same after injuries so I just felt like maybe it's time to put my tools down. People always ask me how come you never announce your retirement, so I'm always like no I never introduced myself when I started playing, so the way I came it is the way that I leave," he explained."It's not like in American football where everything is drafted and announced. In South Africa, announcing retirement is basically for the media."At the end of the day, what happens after announcing? Because at least in England they honour you even in Latin America. I saw [Arturo] Vidal the other day, they honoured him with everything."So in South Africa, it's like the media is going to write an article about you and say Mashamaite has retired, and then what? so for me, there is no point in that."

WHAT MASHAMAITE SAID

The erstwhile Amakhosi captain <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-za/news/how-baxter-inspired-confidence-mashamaite-reflects-on-kaizer-chiefs-last-league-triumph/e74pevbdtli71vhq3bjz5qe6w" target="_blank">won two PSL titles and the MTN8 </a>with the Soweto giants, and the Nedbank Cup with SuperSport United.Individually, he won big at the PSL Awards in 2015, as he walked away with the Players’ Player of the Season, Footballer of the Season, as well as the Defender of the Season accolades.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The former defender is now a president of the newly formed Football Union of South Africa (Fusa), which aims to help young players in developing all aspects of their professional careers. Mashamaite has also <a href="https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/fan-park/former-kaizer-chiefs-defender-tefu-mashamaite-speaks-on-studies-20230816" target="_blank">revealed in the past</a> that he takes tertiary studies very seriously and has a Degree in International Relations and is finalising his Sports Management diploma via Fifa accredited courses with the ultimate aim of doing his Fifa Masters.

WHAT NEXT FOR MASHAMAITE?

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite explains why 'there is no point' in announcing a footballer's retirement in South Africa | Goal.com

The PSL-winning captain pointed out that local stars do not get the recognition they deserve when they hang up their boots.

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