The moment most footballers dread the most is that of having to call it time on their careers and start the next phase of their lives.
You are in your late 30s, and everyone thinks you are too old to play football. Club management tries to be diplomatic to coerce you into retirement by offering you a peripheral role in a youth team set-up. You know they are getting rid of you.
From being the centre of attention of the fans, the flashing cameras and the media—life after retirement from football can be humbling as all the glitz and glamour fades away.
Little wonder, most ageing footballers live in denial, insisting they still have enough mileage to carry on because they do not have something to fall back on.
However, there are always exceptions, such as former Black Leopards midfielder Robert Ng’ambi.
The former Platinum Stars star actually called it time prematurely, aged 34 years old while on the books of Leopards two seasons ago.
The 2013 MTN8 and Telkom Knockout Cup winner with Dikwena had made up his mind to leave the stage for a career in entrepreneurship. There was simply no what if…
The midfield ace told FARPost he felt it made sense for him to bow out on the PSL football stage when he was still good enough to compete.
TIME WAS RIPE TO CALL IT TIME
The Malawian international said he listened to his body which told him that it was time to say goodbye.
“It is not about age, but it is about how many games you have played in your career,” Ng’ambi said.
“I started playing football at a tender game, so I felt it was good leaving the stage when I was still good enough and leaving a good legacy.”
Part of the reason was that the Malawian felt his continued presence on the pitch meant standing in the way of up-and-coming talent.
“I also needed to create room for up-and-coming players to also make a name. I had a chance to play because others also gave me a chance when I was young,” he said.
The retired attacking midfielder said he had, years before his retirement, set out a plan to venture seamlessly into the often-risky world of entrepreneurship.
Therefore, the more the Malawian kept on prolonging his career, the more he felt he was losing his grip on his upmarket Majestic Bar and Restaurant in CBD Johannesburg and Divine sports merchandise shop back home in Limbe, Blantyre, Malawi.
“I run several business ventures. I run a restaurant and bar in South Africa. I also have a soccer equipment shop in Limbe, Blantyre,” he said.
Those who have been to the bar in Johannesburg describe it as smart and elegant, with a big workforce, offering top service.
The two business ventures mean that Ng’ambi splits his time travelling between Malawi and South Africa.
In other cases, he imparts football knowledge to up-and-coming players at Blantyre-based Walter Nyamilandu Academy, which Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu owns in Blantyre.
PURSUING COACHING ROUTE RELUCTANTLY
Of course, the quiet Ng’ambi told FARPost he was at first reluctant to tread the slippery route of coaching.
“The president convinced me that I had been in the game for a long time, and it was important for me to pass on the knowledge to young players as part of giving back to the community,” he said.
There is no dull moment for the former Leopards captain when he is in Blantyre.
“I train the academy guys, and I also help Waka Waka Tigers in my free time,” Ng’ambi said.
The former Flames star launched his professional football career in 2001, soon after winning the Cosafa Under-17 Championship on home soil after beating South Africa.
That meant he spent 19 years in the professional football ranks playing for ACT Stars, MDC United the Bakili Bullets in Malawi’s elite Super League.
Ng’ambi’s career blossomed at Bullets, sweeping all domestic silverware before sending shockwaves in the 2004 CAF Champions League by eliminating the likes of SC Villa of Uganda, Zambia’s Zanaco and Orlando Pirates.
Such a breathtaking run saw Malawi champions scale the group stage phase of the CAF Champions League for the first time in the Blantyre-based club’s history.
Eventually, the towering creative player signed for Monomotapa in Zimbabwe before Leopards snatched him from the noses of their then-Limpopo rivals Dynamos.
Ngámbi went on to spend seven trophy-laden seasons with Platinum and only returned home to Lidoda Duvha after Dikwena closed shop.
Looking at the player who featured at the 2010 AFCON finals, you would think he is still strong enough to grace the fields of play. But then, timing is everything for Ng’ambi.
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