The system treats them like chappies

Lebo Ditlhake’s journey is one of rise, fall, and remarkable redemption. Once a promising young athlete who excelled across multiple sporting codes, he was forced by life into adult responsibilities far earlier than expected. After experiencing his own struggles and rebuilding himself through business, Ditlhake is now dedicating his time, resources, and heart to supporting former professional footballers who have slipped through the cracks after their playing days. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina, Ditlhake opens up about the painful realities faced by South African legends, the birth of Ditlhake Masters FC, and his mission to restore dignity, confidence, and opportunity to the men who once entertained millions.

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Masebe Qina: For those who might not know you well, who is Lebo Ditlhake and where does your story begin?

Lebo Ditlhake: Lebo Ditlhake is a young, dynamic and very vibrant person - someone who likes to challenge the world in how he thinks and sees things. I was born and raised in Fochville on 24 February 1988. I grew up as someone who loved sports. I wasn’t a bad student academically, but sports were always my strength. I was an athlete from early on. I did my primary school education in Fochville until Grade 7, and because of how I performed, I earned a scholarship. I then moved to Pretoria to a school that selects athletes to study there. That’s where my talent went to another level - I was doing athletics, cricket and rugby at one of the top 10 schools in South Africa, competing with schools like Grey College.

MQ: Even while you excelled in other sports, where did football fit into your life?

LD: For the love of football, I never left it. Even though I had bursaries for those three sporting codes, I would still cross the street to play football with the boys at Tuks (University of Pretoria). You know, athletics, rugby and cricket were seen as more of the “white sports”, but football was my culture, the sport I grew up with. After school, things changed for me. I had a child at a young age, and that changed my whole perspective about continuing in sports. My mind shifted to working and supporting my child. I worked at the mines and at Sasol from 2009 until 2016 on the logistics side. Then the retrenchments came and I was cut in 2016. At that time, I was very close to Sipho Nunens (former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder) ~ he’s from my neighbourhood. Carletonville and Fochville are basically the same area, 10 minutes apart. Sipho eventually stayed in Fochville. We were very close because I also had my fair share of being naughty — drinking with the guys, seeing life from the ground and understanding the downfall.