When Kabamba Musasa joined Kaizer Chiefs from FC Saint Eloi-Lupopo it was the first time signing a professional contract marking the start of a career that later enabled a move to Europe.
Musasa was snapped up after causing havoc in the 2002 Vodacom Challenge and went on to stay for two-and-a-half years at Chiefs before leaving for Turkish club Istanbulspor.
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The left-footed striker scored 10 goals in his first season including a goal in the Soweto derby (December 2002) and though he faded in his second season with four goals he again scored the winner in the derby played just before Christmas the following year.
Halfway through the next season he then left for Istanbulspor and then had further spells at Maritzburg United and Mpumalanga Black Aces.
"My first salary at Chiefs after I signed in 2002 was R28 000 and this was really good money at the time," Musasa tells KickOff.
"This was the first time that I was signing a professional contract, so I was happy.
"After some time, I heard some people saying this money was small compared to what others were getting but I had a contract.
"The money at Chiefs changed my life.
"In Turkey I signed for six months and earned R90 000 per month at Istanbulspor but unfortunately, we were relegated from the Super Lig to a league where foreigners were not allowed to play at the time.
"The late Shoes Mosheou is the one who arranged an agent to do my deal there.
"At Maritzburg (2006) I got R40 000 from boss Farook Kadodia as I was coming back from Europe.
"Black Aces (2007/08) paid me R20 000 because the team was in the first division, but they were ambitious.
"Other players at Aces got R15 000, others R12 000 but I was amongst those who had played in the PSL before along with Eddie Dinha, so I got R20 000," says Musasa while adding how he turned down Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in favour of Chiefs.
"Before signing for Chiefs, it was (Mamelodi) Sundowns, (Orlando) Pirates, AmaZulu, Golden Arrows, Ajax Cape Town, and Moroka Swallows who all wanted me, but my agent (Bajo Bujani) insisted that I go to Chiefs because Muhsin Ertugral had told Bobby Motaung to sign me.
"Muhsin had previously coached the Congo national team so that helped there.
"Truth is that it was Ajax who came for me first after we beat Pirates in the first game but then the issue was that I didn't speak English so they got some Congolese guy to come and speak to me in French, but I promised him that we will talk after the tournament.
"However, after we won the Vodacom Challenge all these other teams started coming and Sundowns sent Peter (Koutroulis) to come and talk to me.
"In the end, it was Chiefs who won the race and Bajo was the one who met me at the airport when I landed back.
"Strangely, when I got to Chiefs, Bobby still wanted me to first play in a friendly match before my signing was completed but Muhsin said he had already played seen enough of me in the Vodacom Challenge and was convinced," says Musasa.
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