Hlatshwayo’s honest admission on his contract extension at SuperSport

SuperSport United captain Thulani Hlatshwayo has made an honest admission about his one-year contract extension at the club.

Hlatshwayo, at 34, is the second-oldest player in the SuperSport United squad, with veteran striker Bradley Grobler, 36, being the oldest.

The former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana captain extended his stay at SuperSport in June by penning a one-year contract extension. This deal will keep him at the club until June 2025.

In South Africa, it’s a common misconception that veteran players, particularly those over 30, are past their prime. This often leads to them being labelled as “old” and receiving shorter-term contracts, typically one year.

Another example of this trend is Mamelodi Sundowns captain Themba Zwane. Despite being 35, “Mshishi” recently signed a one-year contract extension. He remains a key player for both Sundowns and the national team, Bafana.

THULANI HLATSHWAYO ON HIS SUPERSPORT CONTRACT

According to the veteran defender, one-year contracts are the norm for older players, while younger players typically receive three-year deals. He doesn’t rule out the possibility of not being included in SuperSport’s squad next season.

“I’m honoured that SuperSport can give me another season,” said Hlatshwayo. “It’s truly appreciation of the work that I have done on the field and off the field.

“For me, I will keep doing it again. It’s tough; I was actually speaking to ‘Bash’ [Onismor Bhasera] and ‘Bash’ was like, for now, ; that’s it’. One year option, one year option, but when you look at it, it’s really fair to invest in the future.

“We’ve had our chance. There are players that have done it before us; we also came as youngsters, so if next season I’m not here, it won’t be a surprise. It’s all about performance, make sure you’re injury free and make sure you keep doing well for the team.”

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