BREAKING: Kaizer Chiefs legend finally announces retirement? 

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana winger Siphiwe Tshabalala may have finally accepted his fate.

After being released by AmaZulu in 2021, Tshabalala has vowed that he had not yet hung up his boots.

Tshabalala sent shockwaves through the South African football fraternity when it was announced he would be leaving Chiefs for Turkey. He was a long-serving senior player in the Amakhosi set up during that period. It became hard to see the winger playing for any other club, with many believing he would retire at Naturena.

However, a move to the Turkish topflight was a deal even the Chiefs management understood was too good to reject. This especially with Tshabalala having already reached veteran status. Things did not quite work out for the dreadlocked star in Turkey, however. His newly promoted side Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor found themselves going straight back down to the Turkish second tier. 

After spending a bit of time back in the country but inactive, Tshabalala finally received a career lifeline. This came through a move to DStv Premiership side Amazulu. However, the former Free State Stars’ player’s fortunes did not seem to change under former Bafana Bafana teammate Benni McCarthy. He was largely unavailable for the club due to both injury and illness. By the time he was back, McCarthy had already finalized his preferred starting line up. 

Tshabalala previously stated he was still available

Perhaps, it then came as no surprise that Tshabalala was released by Amazulu at the end of the 2020/21 season. But even though he has not been active in the last three years, apart from charity matches for Chiefs, he has always maintained he has not retired. But now according to the latest from Soccer-Laduma he may have accepted that his future is away from the football pitch.

Now speaking life after football, is he confirming he has retired?

“To continue working with the brands, I’m enjoying the association and I see value in that. “I’m currently working with four or five brands now. So it’s a great opportunity. There’s growth in that space, there’s longevity as well. And of course I won’t be lost to football. I owe football a lot. Football gave me everything and I’ll be forever grateful. I’m more involved in grassroots football through my foundation with a football tournament that runs annually between June and July. So that’s the space that I enjoy, but also it is it’s a space where I want to equip myself with academic knowledge. You know, I do have vast experience with practical stuff, so I also need a bit of academic paper as well. I think it’s a stamp of approval.” Said Tshabalala when quizzed on the next chapter of his career.

Tshabalala also hinted that he could join some of his ex-Chiefs teammates by venturing into coaching.

“And I do also consider getting the coaching badges just to have an in-depth knowledge and impart that knowledge from that perspective to the youth,” Tshabalala.

Although he doesn’t outright say he is mitred, it is the first time he does not mention being available. It remains to be seen if Tshabalala will ever make an official announcement.