Siyabonga Sangweni reveals how he “stole” himself from Kaizer Chiefs

Speaking at the opening of his Siyabonga Sangweni Sports Complex, he revealed that he once played for Kaizer Chiefs’ development team but ran away during the night!

Sangweni explained that the financial disparity between the Chiefs academy and a KwaZulu-Natal team, Bongani FC, prompted his bold decision.

While Chiefs provided him with R200 for soap, Bongani FC offered him a salary of R1500, a significant sum that allowed him to contribute to his family.

“I was in the Kaizer Chiefs academy but I ran away, Bobby [Motaung] knows the story,” Sangweni told journalists, according to FARPost’s Sinethemba Sithole. 

“I just felt that this thing of being given R200 to buy a bathing soap while at home there is a team that can give me R1500 salary… I would be able to share a little with my mother from that.”

With a plan in motion, Sangweni arranged for Bongani FC to pick him up from the Chiefs academy under the cover of darkness. 

“I told them [Bongani FC owners] to fetch me at night, they came and stole me. At Chiefs, they woke up and I was no longer there. They eventually saw me emerge at Golden Arrows and it was late,” Sangweni recalled.

This anecdote provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of young footballers facing difficult financial realities.

Sangweni’s daring escape from Chiefs is a testament to his ambition and dedication to his family, ultimately leading him to a successful career with Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates.

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