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‘SAMBA JIVE’ SET TO HANG UP HIS BOOTS

By Colisile Sacolo | 2021-08-04

SOCCER – Leaving a legacy! This is what will happen when Mbabane Swallows veteran winger Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko will do when he retires from football, most likely at the end of this season.

This was revealed by Nhleko through a post on his Facebook page. According to the post, Nhleko is contemplating hanging up his boots at the end of the current season.

“I spent half of my life playing the game I love, since 2000 as a professional footballer and I am not regretting any season while being a professional player.

I made so many friends and encountered so many talented players,” says Nhleko in the post. He says he has travelled a lot and had been exposed to so many languages, where he learnt some and appreciated others.

‘Samba Jive’ said he enriched his football experience through all the years while being coached by so many coaches, also mentioning that he had won a lot of people’s hearts.

“Since I was a little boy, my father always wanted to see me playing football until I retire at the team that everyone supported at home. Wherever you are Mr Abner Sipho Nhleko, I am saying ‘daddy’ I made it’, Swallows family, beautiful Swazi football lovers, I am almost there now and I will cherish all the things I did in the game,” says Nhleko.

When sought for comment ‘Samba Jive’ said as soon as he decided to hang his boots, he would make it formal and everyone will know it.

“I will follow the right channels; otherwise, for now what is strongly in my mind is to retire.”

Meanwhile, Nhleko has played for top clubs locally (Mbabane Swallows, Denver Sundowns, Malanti Chiefs and Gege Happy Stars) while internationally the teams included Black Leopards, FC AK, Blackburn Rovers and Platinum Stars, now known as Silver Stars.

It is still unclear at the moment why ‘Samba Jive’ has suddenly decided to announce the unexpected developments to the hordes of his followers and we suspect the primary reason is that he feels he has played his part.

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