Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates player Thamsanqa Sangweni is pleading with Mzansi’s Premiership division teams to give him a second chance after he found himself unemployed this season. Thami, as he is affectionally known to his fans, is retired former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana defender Siyabonga Sangweni’s brother. His contract was not renewed by his former club Chippa United.

It is alleged that things are not going well for the player since he was loaned out to the Eastern Cape-based side called Peacemakers FC, which plays in the ABC Motsepe League. Thami is currently back home in kwaMthethwa Village, outside Empangeni in KwaZulu Natal. Reliable sources close to the player told ZiMoja that Thami is down and out. "Things are no longer the same for him. The Thami that you used to know who was untouchable and didn’t want to do interviews with the media is gone. He is very humble now, the girlfriends that he used to have are no longer there and the maroon BMW X6 was repossessed. He is back at home in KZN and clubless, even Richards Bay F.C. never considered signing him because of his ego," the source said. Another source said that what killed Thami’s career was booze and partying. "When he was playing professional football, he never took his career seriously. He was always in KZN just filling up the table for the girls that did not care about his career. I once met him in one bottle store around his hometown buying expensive alcohol. He needs to humble himself and start taking his career seriously because as things stand no club can sign a 35-year-old who is ill-disciplined," the source said.

On Wednesday, Thami took to social media and asked his former employers to give him a second chance as he realises that he made many mistakes during his time in his previous clubs. "To every PSL team and coach, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask for your help to get another chance. I’m still active. I made a lot of mistakes along the way in my career, I learned the hard way. The mistakes that made me lose my job, the mistakes that made no one want to have me on their teams. I blame only myself because I’m the one who messed up everything. I am here asking for forgiveness and the chance to play football again. Football is my life, it is the only thing that I know and I want to do. "I was selfish because I ended up losing everything that I love. I am no longer that person, those mistakes made me a better man and they made me realise what it means to be a professional footballer... I know that my English is not that good, but I hope that this message touches you and you give me a second chance," he wrote.