Ex-Bafana star hopes to inspire footballers by climbing the academic ladder

Gaxa, who was one of the 2010 Fifa World Cup players, said he was pushed to read and study having seen most of his colleagues go broke soon after hanging up their boots.

He already has one degree and is studying for another.

“It breaks my heart to see what’s going on in our football. I am seeing players that had millions of Rands in their bank accounts, but now they have nothing. How did we get here?” he asked rhetorically.

“Players must read financial books, hire tutors because they get paid lots of money and they can afford that. When I was studying at Chiefs, others didn’t see the importance of what I was doing and I didn’t understand why,” he said.

“Our structures don’t cater for education and that has to change. After retirement players go back to the same poverty where they come from and that really breaks my heart.”

Safa president Danny Jordaan has congratulated Gaxa, who has graduated from Wits University with Political Science and Social Studies degree.

Jordaan said Gaxa had set an example which should be emulated by others.

“In my recent interaction with ex-players and legends, I have always underscored the fact that education is the best fall-back plan at the end of one’s playing career.

“I would like to see more and more players who follow in Gaxa’s footsteps,” he said.

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