In 2022, the dream of making a living out of football took Thulani Cele to Georgia. When he boarded a flight in April that year, little did he know that he would end up in a maximum prison in a foreign country and serving a sentence. The midfielder had been discovered through the Nedbank Ke Yona Team search and went on to sign a professional contract with AmaZulu FC. Following stints with TS Sporting and Summerfield Dynamos, he jumped at what he thought was an opportunity to try his luck overseas when it was presented to him. Yet soon after landing on the other side, the scam revealed itself. The dream evaporated in front of his eyes, and instead what awaited was an 18-month sentence. What happened? How could he ‘steal a cellphone’ in a foreign land, having gone there on a football mission? Why does he believe the dream has not yet died? Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina gets the 24-year-old to open up on his terrifying ordeal in this emotional interview.
Masebe Qina: Thulani, how are you holding up?
Thulani Cele: (Sighs heavily) I’m fine, and I can’t complain. I’ve tried to forget about what happened to me here in Georgia. It hasn’t been easy, but at the end of the day, I had to forget about everything that I went through. Since last month, I’ve been training and working on returning to the field of play. I’m getting myself ready for whatever team that may be interested in my services. What is important for me is to be ready so that when I get an opportunity to train with a team, I won’t struggle with fitness and things like that.
