Solomon Mathe was paid R1000 at Pirates

Solomon Mathe maintains that his decision to leave was appropriate because Orlando Pirates underpaid him, which halted his progress.

Mathe advanced from the academy to the senior squad while at Pirates.

Nevertheless, because he played most of his time on loan despite his potential, the Soweto giants did not give him enough opportunities to establish his value.The Bucs were willing to let Mathe continue to grow both on and off the field.

What Mathe said

“Stars tried to convince me not to go back to Pirates; they promised me a three-year deal but it was impossible because I belonged to them,” Mathe told Kick Off.

“[Irvin Khoza] told the club’s financial manager, ‘I am giving this one R8,500 a month and that was gross.

“He then gave me R1,000 in cash and told me it was for my lunch. I could have received R20,000 at Silver Stars if I stayed there, but I accepted the Pirates deal because they promised to pay for my studies,” he continued.

“I feel Pirates underpaid me. What I was earning was very little. I was only able to buy my first car at Platinum Star and in less than a year I bought a house.

“How long was it going to take me to get all those things if I stayed at Pirates?”

However, both financially and on the field, things did not turn out as the player had hoped.
After all, he joined Platinum Stars, with whom he performed from 2010 until 2017.