Veteran defender Rooi Mahamutsa has reacted to the viral video that saw him being sworn at while playing a match in a township recently.
Mahamutsa, who will turn 40 later this month, was sworn at by a “fan” in the video that left many shocked on twitter. He was then applauded for his reaction not to retaliate.
However, he did admit the insults were hurtful but they will not break him or make him fall out of love with the beautiful game.
“I saw the video; someone sent it to me on Tuesday, but I did not put too much on it because I know how social media is,” Mahamutsa told Andile Ncube on Sports Night Amplified on Wednesday.
“What was said in the video was hurtful, but I told myself that I was not going to entertain it. I play eKasi (township) because I love the game, it’s not for hunger or anything – and I have been doing this for years.
“Whatever the guy said on the video is not going to break me. It was disrespectful. I just thought, ‘What does this guy teach his kids?’”
However, he said playing football in the township it’s not because he’s struggling to make ends meet.
“I still have my family, my cars, my house. I play eKasi because I love it,” he added.
“I am fine financially. I play eKasi not because I need money but because I want to share my experience from playing professionally and make youngsters believe they can do it.
“The game of football has provided me with everything that I have. I am not going to sit and say football hasn’t done this or that for me.
“For me, I just want to share my knowledge with the young ones so they can get where I was. I have won my medals.”
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Mahamutsa was a late bloomer in his career. He made his PSL top flight debut when he was 26 years old on 30 August 2008 for Pirates against Golden Arrows. It was not the best of entrances as Pirates lost away. But in seven years spent with the Buccaneers, he won nine trophies, including back-to-back trebles.
Mahamutsa is without a club after he left the relegated side TS Sporting at the end of last season in the Motsepe Foundations Championship, however, despite his advanced age in football, the 39-year-old says he has not called it a quits.
“I have not retired from football. Any opportunity that comes, I will take it,” he said.
“When I hang up my football boots, you will be the first to know. I am turning 40 but if you see me play, you will say I’m 20 something years old. Sometimes age is just a number.
“The problem with football in our country is that once you reach a certain age, you are out.”
