Former footballer Lerato Chabangu had an illustrious professional career during his heydays in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). However, the retired soccer star now resembles a shadow of his former self.
On Sunday’s episode of I Blew It, Chabangu (affectionately known as “Ace” or “All You Need Is Love”) opened up about his reckless and alcohol-laden lifestyle which led to him losing it all.
LERATO CHABANGU SHARES HIS STORY ON ‘I BLEW IT’
The Tembisa-born footballer was regarded as one of the best right-wingers Mzansi had ever seen. He is renowned for having played for Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United. However, the high life, money and alcohol got the better of him.
When he joined Masandawana in 2005, when he was only 20 years old.
“They [Sundowns] offered me R20 000 per month. And then there is a sign-on fee. They paid me R50 000. If I play 20 games in the first season, I would get R35 000,” he said.
In 2009, he left Sundowns for their arch-rivals, SuperSport United. At the time, according his friend, the PSL defending champions were paying his R90 000 per month.
“When he joined SuperSport United, I think he was on a hundred and something salary. When he went back to Sundowns, I don’t know how much he was making” his friend says.
Chabangu added that his sign-on fee, when he returned to Sundowns in 2009, was about R1 million.
TAKING CARE OF HIS FAMILY AND HIS RECKLESS LIVING
According to Chabangu’s family, he did not forget about them when the money started rolling in. He always ensured that their financial needs were met, including about R5000 for groceries.
However, his brother says that the footballer, who also played for Moroka Swallows, partied to the extreme.
“After training or after a game, he always wanted to refresh with some alcohol.”
Chabangu also spent his money on expensive cars, two homes in the suburbs and women. He says finances were not an issue for him because he also had an ambassadorship deal that covers a bulk of his expenses
“I could finish R30 000 a day,” Chabangu said.
WHEN IT WENT DOWNHILL
According to his family and friends, Chabangu’s life took a turn for the worse when he left his girlfriend for another woman whom he referred to as a “slay queen”.
The former footballer bought the new woman in his life a car worth R70 000. A few months later, she gave the car to her parents and he bought her a Mini Cooper worth R85 000. The pair also moved to Boksburg, where he also bought a house to the value of R1.5 million. They also took most of the furniture from his mother’s house and moved it to their home.
Chabangu’s financial woes began after a career-ending injury at the gym. As a result of this, Sundowns terminated his contract and he missed the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Although he was cash-stripped, he did not stop partying and spending money recklessly. This resulted in him using his investments to pay his mortgages.
Chabangu thanked his lucky stars when he received a second chance in life in the form of a contract with The Dube Birds in 2011.
“We had an agreement that I would be getting R20 000,” he shares. “After playing about 50% of the games [in the season] they gave me more money. It was R75 000.”
With the money started rolling in again, Chabangu went back to his party life.
When Maswaiswai were relegated, he joined Chippa United and relocated to the Eastern Cape.
“They paid me R30 000,” he adds.
“Every month I’d send money to the madam’s [his girlfriend’s] account and I thought she was paying the bills but it turned out that she wasn’t.
“While in P. E [now Gqebehra] I found out that my properties were being auctioned. All my stuff including furniture.”
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