In this edition of My First Pay Cheque, KickOff catches up with former Ajax Cape Town, Golden Arrows, Mpumalanga Black Aces and Orlando Pirates midfielder Clifford Ngobeni.
Who I signed for?
"I'm originally from Hammanskraal, moved to Soweto at an early age. I started playing football from the age of three years. My first professional team was Ajax Cape Town, I joined them from the year 2000 at the age of 14.
"It wasn't easy leaving Soweto for an unfamiliar place, being on the aeroplane for the first time, seeing the beach for the first time, seeing all kinds of people while I was 14. I had to travel with my mom and my other friend Stanton Lewis and his dad. We travelled together. Stanton Lewis (and I) were recruited at the same time by Ajax Cape Town."
How much I earned?
"Well in development it's called a stipend. I think it was R1500 and I was 15 years old then. That was until I was promoted to the first team.
"After that it grew to R15 000. Since I was coming from underprivileged background in a four-roomed house, living with three sisters, I had no bedroom of my own, I instructed my boss John Comitis to deposit my salary into my mother's account.
"So my salary first went to my mom before it could reach me. I only used what my mom gave me. They saved the money, when it was too much my mom asked me, what must we do with the money? I said to her, build us a house, I'm tired of sleeping in the dining room.
"That's what I did with my first pay cheque."
How I celebrated?
"At that time we were staying in a guest house, it was boys only. So me and Stanton Lewis each time we received our stipend we would go to Spur and order anything we wanted.
"Back then we didn't drink alcohol, we only bought ourselves food. I didn't even have a girlfriend, I didn't even own a phone, I was using Stanton's phone to call my parents."
What I bought?
"A phone. At home they couldn't afford to buy a phone for me. So the first thing I bought was a Motorola cellphone."
Did it last you the full month?
"Yes it did. Remember in Cape Town we were in a school it was not only about football. So you had to manage your money so it could last you the full month."