Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Keletso Sifama targets top-flight return after epilepsy battle

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Keletso Sifama says he remains determined to rebuild his career after overcoming epilepsy, which affected him during matches and threatened to derail his progress.

The 23-year-old is now with Gomora United in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, where he has been given an opportunity to revive a career that once appeared set for a promising future.

Sifama progressed through the Kaizer Chiefs system and reached the first team after featuring in the DStv Diski Challenge. He was also involved with a junior national team, but chances at senior level with Amakhosi were limited.

The club loaned him to Maritzburg United, Pretoria Callies and Casric Stars to gain professional experience. During that period, however, he was dealing with epileptic seizures, including episodes that occurred during matches.

“It wasn’t an easy journey for me because I had challenges throughout my career. It wasn’t great, but I think one day it will be a great career,” Sifama told Soccer Laduma.

“I had so many challenges. I was a sick boy. I had seizures, like epilepsy. It played a role in my career. It killed me, but not me being weak in my mind. I kept on pushing and fighting this thing of me getting sick.”

Sifama said the seizures happened while he was at Kaizer Chiefs and Pretoria Callies, as well as when he was with the national team. He believes the condition has now been resolved through treatment.

“I used to have epileptic (episodes) even in the games, but it’s a thing that healed as I got older. It happened at Chiefs, and at Pretoria Callies. Even in the national team it happened,” he said.

“It’s something that’s no longer there because it healed. Treatment helped me to be better.”

Despite the setbacks, the former Sekhukhune United striker does not blame his illness for leaving Kaizer Chiefs. Instead, he views his spell at Gomora as a chance to demonstrate that he can still return to the top level.

“I don’t want to blame it on me being sick. I think it was a decision they took for me to leave Kaizer Chiefs, but I did not take it badly,” Sifama said.

“I am still in the professional set-up. I can go back if I work hard. I can’t blame it on me being sick.”

He credits faith and personal discipline for helping him continue through difficult periods.

“Faith and belief keep me going. In everything that you do, do not forget to pray. Everything will happen in the way it should if you believe,” he said.

“Everything should start with you, like how you treat yourself. This (the move to Gomora) is a big thing because there is a platform for me to work and show how good I am.”

Gomora United face Upington City in the Championship this weekend at Malamulele Stadium.