Ramahlwe Mphahlele: Family finances drove surprise Mamelodi Sundowns exit

Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele says he left the club to provide a better future for his family, including paying for his brother and sister to attend university.

The 36-year-old revealed the reason behind his move away from Sundowns during an emotional appearance on Metro FM, where he announced the end of a successful and controversy-free 20-year playing career.

Mphahlele struggled to hold back tears as he watched video messages from his mother, Ramatsobana Moshopiadi Mphahlele, and his children, Ofentse and Reitumetse. The interview was captured by Metro FM on Thursday and shared through @SNAWA_MetroFmSA.

The former South Africa Under-20 and Under-23 captain said his decision to leave Sundowns, where he had enjoyed considerable success at Chloorkop, was motivated by the needs of his family rather than personal ambition.

“A lot of people don’t know the reason I left Sundowns, my sister wanted to go to varsity. She didn’t have money,” he said.

“I wasn’t making that much. My brother was finishing [high school], he wanted to go to university, so for me I wanted to liberate my people hence I made certain decisions in life.

“Mom didn’t have a house and I just wanted to see them well off. My brother finished his BCom, my sister is an electrical engineer. My heart is pure.

“I didn’t make decisions for me. I made them so that my people can have a better life because if I didn’t give them a better life, no one was going to give them a better life.

“Mom wasn’t working, Dad wasn’t supporting us so I was the only option. From where I’m from, there’s not too many options.

“I come from nothing and some decisions I made, I was scared that if I don’t liberate my family and take them to school then they’ll forever be my burden.

“So, but I needed to make certain decisions for them [siblings] to go to school.

“And when I left Sundowns then I could afford to take them to school.”

Mphahlele’s move to Kaizer Chiefs gave him the financial means to support his family, he said. During his career, the defender played for six clubs in the Betway Premiership: Mamelodi Sundowns, Moroka Swallows, University of Pretoria, Kaizer Chiefs, AmaZulu and ORBIT College.

He also earned 24 caps for South Africa between 2016 and 2025, scoring once for the senior national team.

His honours included being part of the Moroka Swallows team that won the 2009 Nedbank Cup. With Mamelodi Sundowns, he won league titles in 2013/14 and 2015/16, as well as the Nedbank Cup and CAF Champions League during the 2015/16 campaign.

Mphahlele later featured for Kaizer Chiefs in the 2021 CAF Champions League final. The South African side lost 3-0 to Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahly.

Away from the football-related announcement, the source also promoted the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper, which is available free of charge. Readers can download it using the button provided or complete a form to have it sent to them each week.