Orlando Pirates legend Steve Lekoelea is the latest example of why not every former player should become a football coach.
STEVE LEKOELEA ON HIS NEW CAR SALES CAREER
Following a long career that began at Moroka Swallows before his time at Orlando Pirates, Maritzburg United, Platinum Stars and Mbabane Swallows in Eswatini, the Sebokeng-born player retired in 2012 at 33. Fast forward to 2025 and Lekoelea has kicked off a new career as an executive salesman at Roar Automobile in Vereeniging. “I’m happy and I have peace,” Lekoelea told TimesLIVE‘s Innocentia Nkadimeng. “Life has been good to me; I don’t have stress.
“What’s important to me is the gift of life. As long as I’m alive and God wakes me up every morning, I’m just grateful for that. I’m enjoying my new job but I have to learn a few things as I used to play soccer and now I’m selling cars. It’s different because when you sell cars you work with people. I had to learn a lot of things because it’s my first time working in sales. It’s a learning process. I’m getting better every day, I now know the tactics they use to get customers.”
The former Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder added to reveal that his new career was never planned, just like his legendary football career unfolded by chance.
“Everything I do in life finds me along the way. Like football … I didn’t plan to play professionally, it just happened. I found this job on the way and I’m doing it for love. We start them at a young age so they can become good soccer players when they grow up.”
To conclude, the former Orlando Pirates superstar advised young players to value education. “I tell them to focus on whatever they are doing and to balance soccer and school because being a soccer player is a short career. However, if you have education on your side it’s easier to continue with life. If you get an injury in football your career might be finished, but if you have education to fall back on you can balance your life after soccer,” said Lekeolea.
HOW DO YOU REMEMBER STEVE LEKOELEA AT ORLANDO PIRATES?
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