PSL goalkeeper ready to take on cyber world

Polokwane City Football Club goalkeeper, Harold Ndlovu recently proved that soccer is not his only talent and he now aims to take the Information industry by storm.
The 26-year-old from Lulekani Village near Phalaborwa achieved what many soccer players can only dream of doing when he graduated with a BA in Information Studies at the University of Limpopo’s (UL) Autumn Graduations last week.
Ndlovu, formerly attached to ABC Motsepe League outfit Winners Park Football Club and the UL soccer team, said this qualification will enable him to enjoy his football career and worry less about life after football.
He plans to open an intellectual property law firm specialising in providing intellectual property and commercial law services in his village and the country at large once he retires from football. “That is my main plan. We have few law firms in the country and I want to open one and employ some of the unemployed graduates from my community and contribute to the growth of the economy. I have enrolled with Unisa for a law degree and once I am done I intend starting the project,” he explained.
He said one of the reasons he focused more on his studies than on football was that he did not want to be like many soccer players who make millions throughout their careers but eventually run out of money once their playing days are over. “I enrolled at the UL in 2013 and it was not easy because I was playing for Winners Park which was campaigning in the ABC Motsepe League and we travelled a lot. It was difficult to balance studies and sport but I soldiered on because I knew that a career in football was short-lived but the qualification will be with me forever and it will open many doors for me,” he elaborated.
He remarked that he had been at a crossroads having to choose between law and Information Studies and he eventually chose the latter. “I loved both fields but I was keen on Information Studies because I wanted to know more about the specific science, knowledge management and records. I am glad to have completed the degree on record time and I cannot wait to start with my LLB,” Ndlovu enthused.
His football career started at the Noble All Stars Football Club in Elim Township in the Giyani area before he moved to Winners Park.
“Those were the memorable years of my life because I was playing for fun. I love football with all my heart and I did not know that one day I would end up playing for one of the top Premier Soccer League teams in the country. I am happy with the journey thus far,” added Ndlovu.
He thanked his father, Sipho Langa whom he described as a source of inspiration, the management of Polokwane City Football Club and University of Limpopo’s Sport Administration for the role they played in his career. “Let me start with my father. He was a prolific goalkeeper in his heydays and always took me to his matches. That on its own shaped my football career because all I wanted was to be like him, a great player and loved by the community. Polokwane City Football Club deserves my gratitude because there were classes in between matches and practice sessions and they allowed me to attend. I used the salary I got every month to pay for my studies. I also want to thank the Director of Sport and the university and his colleagues for supporting me when things were not going my way. I will forever be grateful for them,” Ndlovu said.

Story: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za