Former Orlando Pirates captain and assistant coach Benson Mhlongo has left the world coaching to join the South African Football Players Union (SAFPU).
Mhlongo, who will occupy the position of coordinator and player development manager at the Union, has exclusively explained his decision to this website.
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"I have joined SAFPU," Mhlongo tells KickOff.
"The Union has been looking to bring me on board for years now, I must say, because they know what I want to achieve in life and football.
"But because I was still coaching, I felt it was not the right time. They always wanted to create a new position for me, of which I have now accepted.
"I plan to uplift these players, and SAFPU has given me the platform to do just that as a coordinator and player development manager.
"I co-ordinate between the Union and players. I mentor players, guide them and educate them about life in football and life after football.
"At the moment in South Africa, there is no emphasis on educating us as players. Our focus is solely on performing, and performance makes us celebrities.
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"And celebrity lifestyle put us in a world of vulnerability for people who just want to use you for your status, only to find yourself left with nothing after football."
During his playing days, the man nicknamed 'Mayanga' was a captain at most of the clubs he turned out for.