Some call him “Rea Vaya,” others call him “Gautrain,” but back home in Limpopo he is known as Tlou Segolela.
As his nicknames suggest, the former Orlando Pirates right-winger received them due to his blistering pace on the field of play. At times, Segolela was so fast that he would dash past the ball.
BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD NAME AT ORLANDO PIRATES
In 2007, Segolela joined the Buccaneers senior team from the club’s development. He bacame part of the squad that won double-treble titles (which included two Premier Soccer League trophies) in two successive seasons; 2010/11 and 2011/12.
Sox, as he is also affectionately called, won the PSL Goal of the Season Award in 2011 for the goal he scored against Free States Stars.
ALSO READ: Free-kick maestro: Where is Orlando Pirates’ Steve Lekoelea now?
The goal has been likened to the one scored by Argentine legend Diego Maradona in the 1986 Fifa World Cup Final in Mexico.
In 2009, Segolela was loaned to Bloemfontein Celtic (which was sold to multimillionaire Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize in 2021 and renamed Royal AM). He returned to Pirates in 2010 and left in 2015 for Platinum Stars.
After one season with Dikwena, the midfielder had a stint at Polokwane City. He joined National First Division (NFD) side Platinum City Rovers (formerly Polokwane City Rovers) between 2017 and 2020.
ALSO READ: SA’s ‘Drogba’: Where is ex-Pirates and Chiefs player Bongani Ndulula now?
WHERE IS TLOU SEGOLELA NOW?
In 2021, the former Bucs star clarified his role at Platinum City Rovers after it initially appeared as though he had been appointed as the head coach of the North West-based club.
Speaking to Phakaaathi, Segolela said that he has been part of the team since it was founded in 2010 and his duty is to run the day-to-day operations as the general manager whilst working closely with head coach Tesco Macheke.
The ex-footballer is also the chairman of Tlou Segolela Sports Development (TSSD) which is aimed at improving sports in disadvantaged communities.
Some of the work the NPO is involved in is documented on the TSSD TV YouTube channel – this includes the Tlou Segolela Annual Festival Tournament (TSAFT) which was held in Moletjie Mabokele, Limpopo, and saw the winners walking away with R200 000 last year.
The NPO is also involved in other philanthropic activities such as donating food parcels and sanitary pads to households in Moletjie.