Ex-Chiefs and Pirates striker on to best season ever aged 36

Several years have passed since Siphelele Mthembu played for Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, but the veteran striker is still in the mood for goals.

Mthembu was in the headlines at the beginning of his professional career in 2008 after he signed contracts with both Pirates and Chiefs.

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Bucs ultimately won him over, but after battling to impose himself, was loaned out to Bloemfontein Celtic.

From there, he had stints with Golden Arrows and Platinum Stars, before Chiefs finally had him in their books for three years from 2014.

Mthembu then went on to also play for Free State Stars, Cape Town City and AmaZulu FC.

However, for all the years that he has spent playing in the DStv Premiership, the imposing marksman never reached double figures on the scoring charts in a single season.

His best return was in the 2013/14 campaign when scored nine goals at Platinum Stars, which led to the move to Chiefs.

Now, as he nears his 37th birthday, ‘Shaka Zulu’ could break that unfortunate streak of not getting into double figures.

Mthembu has scored eight goals this season for Pretoria Callies and is amongst the contenders for the top goal scorer award in the second tier along with another veteran, Prince Nxumalo. 

Namibian striker Bethuel Muzeu is leading with 11 goals with nine games to play.

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Another two goals for Mthembu will set him up for his best scoring season in 16 years and trigger interest from clubs in the top league yet again with Chippa United having shown interest last season.

Mthembu has been at Callies since December 2022 and has been hailed for his professional conduct at the club where he is the most experienced player.