A DELAYED DREAM, FULLY REALISED: LEHLOHONOLO MAJORO ON FOOTBALL, EDUCATION AND STAYING THE COURSE
For Lehlohonolo Majoro, life has never unfolded in a straight line. Instead, it has moved in chapters – each one shaping the person he would become, both on and off the field. “That was a part of my chapter in this world,” he says of his playing career. “The UJ days as a student was another, because it tells another important chapter of the person I turned out to be known as.” It is a fitting way to understand a journey that defies easy categorisation: a professional footballer who did not follow the typical early-success trajectory, a university graduate who never abandoned his studies even as he pursued sport, and now a mentor and developer of young talent through his own academy. His story is not simply one of success, but of persistence, perspective and timing. Foundations: education first Long before the stadiums, contracts and professional expectations, Majoro’s priorities were shaped at home. Education, he explains, was never optional. “My academic side has always been a priority since I was young,” he says. “My parents always made sure that I first handle my studies, then I can go play soccer, they said.” That early discipline would prove decisive later in life. By the time he arrived at the University of Johannesburg in 2007, the balance between academics and football was already ingrained. Rather than competing with each other, the two found a natural rhythm. “Football was like therapy for me after long hours of studying,” he recalls. This framing – of football not as pressure but as release – is telling. It speaks to a mindset that would carry him through periods of uncertainty and delay, when the dream of a professional career seemed increasingly out of reach. The road less certain Unlike many professional players who are identified and signed at a young age, Majoro’s journey into the Premier Soccer League took longer than expected – and at times, seemed unlikely altogether.
After numerous trials with PSL teams that did not materialise into contracts, he reached a point where stepping away from the game felt like the only realistic option. “Most people don’t know that football coach Manqoba (Mngqithi) fetched me out of retirement,” he says with a touch of humour. “I had been in so many trials with PSL teams and always came short. At some point I stopped playing and went to Limpopo to do my community service at Jane Furse Hospital.” It was a turning point – not of defeat, but of redirection. Having completed his studies in 2009, Majoro had already secured a qualification that allowed him to move into professional life outside of football. In many ways, he had done everything “right” according to conventional expectations. But the story was not finished. A dream deferred In 2010, at the age of 24 – an age considered late in professional football terms – Majoro signed his first professional contract with AmaZulu. Looking back, he recognises both the improbability and the significance of that moment. “I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES,” HE SAYS. “I CAN ONLY SAY THAT NOW WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THE JOURNEY.” WHAT MIGHT ONCE HAVE FELT LIKE DELAY HAS SINCE TAKEN ON A DIFFERENT MEANING. “As they say, a delayed dream is not a denied one.” It is a phrase that captures the essence of his career: one shaped not by early validation, but by resilience, patience and the willingness to keep going when outcomes were uncertain. Lessons from the game Professional football, Majoro emphasises, is about far more than talent. It demands a level of discipline and self- awareness that extends beyond the pitch.
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ALUMNI IMPUMELELO
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