In the latest edition of our feature, Where Are They Now, KickOff catches up with former AmaZulu player Dumisani Ngwenya on life after football.
Who am I...
"Dumisani Ngwenya is from KwaMachibisa in Pietermaritzburg. I played for Zulu Royals, AmaZulu FC, Tuks and Maritzburg City."
My playing days...
"I enjoyed my football the most at AmaZulu. That is where I learned and experienced things in professional football. When I arrived at AmaZulu they were building a new team from Zulu Royals. As a striker, you were encouraged to be good at finishing and so on. I think I was in the right environment at the right time. Not leaving God behind of course."
Did I make money from soccer?
"I can't say I didn't make money because I managed to live. At the same time, I cannot say I've made enough money to last me for years. I had to do an operation after sustaining a knee injury. All this happened while I was about 27 or 28 years old."
Where I'm living...
"I'm staying in Maritzburg, I was fortunate enough to build myself a house while I was still playing. I'm not yet married but I'm in that process. But I do have a seven-year-old child."
Jobs since playing the game...
"The only job I knew was football. Then after my career-ending injury, I had to sit down and rethink that 'man this is your life now you must fix it'. I couldn't start all over again looking for a job. I had to go and study Safety Management. I got the certificate. I then completed my diploma in Unisa in 2021."
My current job...
"I'm in the process of registering for the Safety Officers council. I'm still job hunting currently because the only jobs I was getting were contracts work, like a three-month contract as a safety officer."
If I could do it again...
"I didn't misbehave as a footballer. Maybe I could change the way I was training to avoid injuries. I think that was the setback in my career. I'd also changed the way I negotiated my contracts. I did not know then. Otherwise, I would have forced a move away from AmaZulu at one stage. I had offers from Orlando Pirates, Ajax Cape Town and SuperSport United. Before my injury, my agent was negotiating with a team from Greece as well."