Ex-Downs star: My salary got seven times better

In this edition of My First, Mamelodi Sundowns and Witbank Aces legend Sello “Page” Mahlangu reveals his first experiences in the Premier Soccer League era.

Hi, Sello, the PSL is celebrating 30 years this season?

Hawu hawu hawu! It’s been so many years? Can you imagine I played in the NPSL, in the NSL, and in the PSL.

Did the PSL live up to expectations though when it finally came?

Oh yes, it did. But every generation was unique. The NPSL was a good league, but when the breakaway happened, it became weaker, and the NSL standard became high. It became even higher when the PSL was formed. We compliment those administrators who came with that vision. They even went to England to find out first hand what is it they were doing for their product to be better. The model has become much better.

First experiences in the PSL era?

Everything changed in that 1996/1997 Season

Everything changed in that 1996/1997 Season. Even the funding in the PSL was way better than the NSL one. Teams were all of a sudden, able to bring in qualified coaches from outside.

Did the players’ salaries improve as well?

It jumped almost 10 times what we were earning in the NSL. The package changed. They started regulating the payment of players by setting up a benchmark.

What was your first salary in the PSL era?

My salary was around R5000 to R6000; it’s when I was still playing for Aces. It was a lot of money. I was the highest paid player. It became even better when I joined Sundowns. I was now getting 7 times more than I was getting at Aces. The PSL era changed my life.

Do you still remember your first PSL match?

I can’t recall. The thing is, I

I can’t recall. The thing is, I was just enjoying every match; back then, I was playing different positions. I only became stable at Sundowns.

Your first red card in the PSL era?

[Laughs] I never received a red card. I never pushed myself into tackles. I was very cautious in terms of committing myself. I was winning my tackles fairly. Even the yellow cards I got were due to remonstrating with a referee.

Your first car in the PSL era?

It was a Corolla 1.8GLE. That’s the car I bought as soon as I returned from the 1998 FIFA World Cup with Bafana Bafana. And we had just won the league with Sundowns. I paid R48 000.