Orlando Pirates star touches many people’s hearts sharing his painful journey of growing up without parents.
Yanela Mbuthuma (23), a player from Lamontville, south of Durban left many people in tears when he shared that he was abandoned by his parents and raised by his gogo.
ALSO READ | Pirates set to offer Olisa Ndah a new contract
Many people love his soccer skills and his discipline in the field but don’t know how he was raised.
On the first episode of BucsCamp: Brotherhood released on YouTube on Wednesday, 21 January where Pirates share their personal lives, Yanela left many people in tears when he broke into tears sharing about his difficulties of growing.
Yanela revealed that his gogo became his mum and dad after his parents abandoned him with her.
He said his gogo was the one who motivated him to play professional football despite growing difficult.
“My parents left me with my grandmother when I was too young. They actually abandoned me and said we should find a way to survive. I don’t know why they abandoned me, but they left me with my grandmother, and she raised me.
“My grandmother used to tell me about my parents and would say she was now my parent and would do everything for me.”
“She told me that as I was growing up, she was my mother and my father, but my biological parents are still alive,” said the football star.
He said his gogo pushed him to finish school first and follow his dream after matric.
“I did exactly that and I ended up being promoted to the biggest club, Orlando Pirates. So that’s how my grandmother motivated me. I thank her.
“I pushed myself so hard because my grandmother told me that this was the opportunity I had to use so we could live better.”
ALSO READ | Pirates reject an offer for Oswin Appollis
“I have now relieved my grandmother of all the work she used to do to put food on our table because I’m working,” said the Pirates player.
He said the reason he broke down in tears was because his upbringing was painful, marked by starvation and struggles with his gogo.
