At a meagre R5000 per month, Roggert Nyundu is probably one of the lowest paid Premier Soccer League players.
Nyundu, 27, who is contracted to Polokwane City, has been on form this past season. He scored two goals in two games earlier in the season before he was loaned to National First Division side Black Leopards. Even there, he was instrumental in the team qualifying to play in the promotional play-offs after he netted 13 goals for the Thohoyandou side.
Nyundu is now contractually bound to return to City for a year, and fears that time is running out for him because of age.
Speaking to Sowetan yesterday from Hazyview in Mpumalanga, a sombre Nyundu said he wanted a change in his life.
"They [City] did not respect me as a player and I don't want to go there on July 1. I used to live at the club house (in Soetdoring), on the outskirts of Polokwane, and it's like a camp for the under-12s.
"It's far from town and difficult to go there if you don't have a car. I live at my parents' home right now and I pray that God makes the chairman of City let me go so I can find a club that will allow me to provide for my family."
Although at Leopards he made better money with the R10000 salary plus bonuses, he wants to play in the Premier League.
A proposal by the SA Football Players Union, of which he is not a member, required that players in the PSL should earn at least R15000.
The extreme end of the uneven playing field is that the player is expected to compete with the likes of Teko Modise of Sundowns, who reportedly earns about R400000 a month.
Nyundu, a married father of two girls, has had to supplement his income by selling clothes to his teammates. His younger sister has a salon and together they sustain their family. But he said as a man he felt the onus was on him to provide.
"In everything that I do, I think about my family. If I cheat in an exercise during training, I'm cheating my family." His seven-year-old child is Grade 1 pupil while the four-year-old goes to crèche.
Polokwane City chairman Johnny Mogaladi's response was curt: "I'm not here to discuss a player's contract on the phone. I won't discuss how much he is getting or how much other players are getting paid."
Leopards boss David Thidiela said the player was loaned to them and that the loan was over. It's reported that SuperSport United are one of the local clubs after Nyundu's services. This week, Nyundu returned from trials in Norway, but he was not offered a contract. Nyundu doesn't have an agent and will be going overseas for another trial soon where he will negotiate for himself with the help of a team set up by a friend.
mashotol@sowetan.co.za
Nyundu wants out of poverty - player earned R5000 a month
At a meagre R5000 per month, Roggert Nyundu is probably one of the lowest paid Premier Soccer League players.
Nyundu, 27, who is contracted to Polokwane City, has been on form this past season. He scored two goals in two games earlier in the season before he was loaned to National First Division side Black Leopards. Even there, he was instrumental in the team qualifying to play in the promotional play-offs after he netted 13 goals for the Thohoyandou side.
Nyundu is now contractually bound to return to City for a year, and fears that time is running out for him because of age.
Speaking to Sowetan yesterday from Hazyview in Mpumalanga, a sombre Nyundu said he wanted a change in his life.
"They [City] did not respect me as a player and I don't want to go there on July 1. I used to live at the club house (in Soetdoring), on the outskirts of Polokwane, and it's like a camp for the under-12s.
"It's far from town and difficult to go there if you don't have a car. I live at my parents' home right now and I pray that God makes the chairman of City let me go so I can find a club that will allow me to provide for my family."
Although at Leopards he made better money with the R10000 salary plus bonuses, he wants to play in the Premier League.
A proposal by the SA Football Players Union, of which he is not a member, required that players in the PSL should earn at least R15000.
The extreme end of the uneven playing field is that the player is expected to compete with the likes of Teko Modise of Sundowns, who reportedly earns about R400000 a month.
Nyundu, a married father of two girls, has had to supplement his income by selling clothes to his teammates. His younger sister has a salon and together they sustain their family. But he said as a man he felt the onus was on him to provide.
"In everything that I do, I think about my family. If I cheat in an exercise during training, I'm cheating my family." His seven-year-old child is Grade 1 pupil while the four-year-old goes to crèche.
Polokwane City chairman Johnny Mogaladi's response was curt: "I'm not here to discuss a player's contract on the phone. I won't discuss how much he is getting or how much other players are getting paid."
Leopards boss David Thidiela said the player was loaned to them and that the loan was over. It's reported that SuperSport United are one of the local clubs after Nyundu's services. This week, Nyundu returned from trials in Norway, but he was not offered a contract. Nyundu doesn't have an agent and will be going overseas for another trial soon where he will negotiate for himself with the help of a team set up by a friend.
mashotol@sowetan.co.za
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