Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lehlogonolo Matlou could not hold back tears as he recalled being told he would never play football again after a freak injury early in his career.

The Soweto-born Matlou, 24, featured in the latest episode of Chiefs’ series My Kasi and talked about his football journey that saw him play overseas at a tender age.

Matlou came from an impoverished background and hoped to use his football talent to change his family's tough situation. His five-member family rented a one-room house in Soweto.   

However, those hopes were almost dashed when 13-year-old Matlou broke his leg while playing for the Johannesburg Secondary School under-13 side.

“We were playing in the Metropolitan Schools Tournament against Pimville at [Soweto’s] Nike Football Training Centre,” Matlou said in the episode found on Chiefs’ YouTube page.

“[It was in] the first five minutes of the game that they passed me the ball on the left-hand side.

“I pushed the ball once, the second time I pushed it with my right, trying to cut inside and no-one kicked me, I was alone and I just heard the sound of a bone breaking.

“On the ground I tried to move my foot, and I could feel the bones touching each other.”

With doctors telling the young player his budding football career was over, it felt like the end of the world for a teenage, Matlou. However, he managed to push himself and defied the odds, thanks to encouraging words from his life coach Rhulani Mabasa.

“I thought I wouldn’t play football again because that is what they said at the hospital,” tearful Matlou continued.

“It was not an accident, I was just at the stadium [playing football]. But I thought of what Rhulani once said to me: never give up. I worked hard, really worked hard to be where I am today.”

Mabasa also featured in the episode and said he felt he had to do something as an elder of Matlou in the community.

“When George suffered that injury it was the end of the world for him. For me as a life coach it was something that was so challenging where a person has broken their leg and they had already given up on their talent,” Mabasa said.  

“I had to do something as an elder coming from his society and also being his life coach to try my level best so that he can still believe in his dreams.”

Matlou bounced back from that setback and went on to join Bidvest Wits, who sent him out on loan to teams such as Cape Town All Stars, Cape Umoya United and Portuguese club AD Sanjoanense.

When Wits was sold to Tshakhuma FC in 2020, Sanjoanense moved swiftly to sign the attacking midfielder. He returned home a year later to join Swallows FC, where he spent just a season before being snapped by Amakhosi ahead of the current campaign.

The Chiefs midfielder was introduced to football by his father Aaron Matlou while his mother Johannah Matlou was against the career, and wanted her son to focus on education.

Matlou was promising a football player and tried to turn professional but was unsuccessful, and believed he could guide his son to the big time.

With eight appearances in both the DStv Premiership and MTN8 this season, Matlou will hope to gain further trust from coach Arthur Zwane to earn more game-time when the season resumes from the seven-week break for the 2022 World Cup.