One of Kaizer Chiefs' new signings has recounted his football journey that started in the same ground that chairman Kaizer Motaung started playing at and how his career has come full circle.
Chiefs midfielder George Matlou needed only one season at Swallows to catch the eye of the Soweto giants' scouts but his football journey was far from being perfect.
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Matlou has recounted his journey that started out in the Pirates juniors and got his professional breakthrough at the now-defunct Bidvest Wits before a spell in Portugal led to a move to Swallows.
"I played for Pirates development under-14, they closed down, then I had to go trial at Wits Under-15, that was 2013, so I went there and they took me," Matlou said in the latest episode of Kaizer Chiefs TV.
"So I got promoted to the first team, that's when I started maybe my professional career, then from there they loaned me to Cape Town All Stars (renamed All Stars), which I played (second round of the season) there and came back to Wits.
"Then I did pre-season, then they sent me on loan again to Cape Umoya (defunct)," he said.
Matlou got an opportunity to play for AD Sanjoanense, in the Portuguese third-tier and his sister Victoria Matlou says she was proud to see her brother getting another chance as Bidvest Wits were closing down and going overseas.
"When he came back, Wits was closing down, that's when he joined ADS St. Johannes in Portugal, I was so happy that my little brother is going to Portugal," she said.
Matlou returned to the PSL ahead of the 2021/22 season and after that campaign he was signed by Amakhosi, along with his teammates at the Birds, Dillan Solomons and Kamohelo Mahlatsi.
"When I came back I went to Swallows FC, I played a season which was last season, after the season, I'm here at Kaizer Chiefs," he said.
The skilfull midfielder's father, Aaron Matlou, who was instrumental in carving out a football career for his son, says he could not believe it when George was signed by Chiefs after reading about it in the newspapers.
"I couldn't believe that George would join Kaizer Chiefs, I felt like I was dreaming. When I saw it on the newspaper headline stating "Matlou to join Chiefs", I wanted to run there and see for myself if it's really true," he revealed.
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Matlou also visited the grounds where he started playing football, in the dusty Phefeni grounds, where coincidentally, Motaung Snr started playing his football and where the club was formed.
"We're here in Phefeni grounds, where Kaizer Chiefs was formed, where our own chairman started playing football, these are the grounds I grew up playing," he demonstrated.
"So I'd say my football career started here, I grew up playing here for a club called Charlton Athletic, coached by 'Mjomane' Oupa."
Matlou has had a decent start at Chiefs, as he quickly won the heart of head coach Arthur Zwane, with eight appearances in all competitions.
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