BOB Posted March 16, 2006 This is a sad story about a young South African footballer named Jeremiah Pule affectionately known as "Shuffle" to the millions of adoring Kaizer Chiefs fans, he has the skills to match the greatest player in the world today Ronaldinho but unfortunately nobody knows him beyond the South African borders. For five years the local game has been under the spell of a little guy called Jabu Pule. For a quick background, Pule left behind a life of poverty in Daveyton in the East Rand (Johannesburg) to join SA's glamour side, Kaizer Chiefs. He graduated in no time from the junior ranks and at 18 he was earning big bucks and mesmerising fans with his skills and earned more bucks via countless man-of-the-match performances and club win bonuses for league and cup matches. Just as the nation was drunk with Pule-mania, the man showed little-known side of his genius: destructive dependency on drugs and alcohol. Infamous disappearance acts: Then came his infamous disappearance acts and Chiefs were at pains to maintain discipline and fairness at the team as they were forced to forgive Pule after every unscheduled time off for binging. The club also spent money on rehabilitation, hoping that their Enfant Terrible (or Little Drunken Master)as Pule was called, would change his ways. Chiefs eventually fired him and his former coach at the club, Muhsin Ertugral (from Turkey), called for him to join him at Austrian club SV Mattersburg but after just 10 months into his two-year contract, the club sent him back to SA after Pule was found drunk behind the wheel of his car on the side of the highway. The incident happened just hours ahead of a quarter-final cup match. (Aargh Shame..as they say in S.A) in August last year ambitious SA club Supersport United (Owned by DSTV..Africa's largest sattelite company) shocked the soccer public when they signed Pule, promising to help him keep to the straight and narrow. But just when he was starting to gel in his new environment, Pule's selfish and wayward manners resurfaced - once, twice and the third time he was fired in January. On his day, Pule is capable of producing the kind of breathtaking creativity and skill even the great Ronaldinho would appreciate and many others are not able to match. A dazzling and gifted footballer and just 22 years old, Jabu Pule once had the world at his feet only if he would battle and defeat his demons of Women and Booze that in the end would rob him the heights his talent deserves. Career highs and lows of Jeremiah Jabu Pule: Late 1990s - Plays for Greater Benoni Smiling Bucs and Sampdoria Club (all in his early teens) Mid-1997 - Joins the Kaizer Chiefs Youth Development Academy August 1998 - National under-20 debut against Malawi Mid-1999 - Turns professional and gets promoted to Chiefs senior team August 1999 - Chiefs debut against Amazulu at Johannesburg Stadium April 2000 - Scores a goal in his debut for Bafana Bafana(senior national squad)against Lesotho May 2001- Pule and teammate Patrick Mbuthu are suspended by Chiefs for absconding November 2001- Pule scores two brilliant goals in a match in which Chiefs beat Cosmos 5-0 to win the Coca-Cola Cup final December 2001 - Pule picked for the 33-man preliminary squad to play in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali December 2001- Former Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz (now with Man Utd)drops Pule from the Africa Cup of Nations squad following his failure to attend a training session May 2002 - Voted the S.A Premier Soccer League's Player of the Year June 2002 - Represents SA at the 2002 World Cup 2001 - 2002: Pule plays a key role in Chiefs winning the BP Top 8, the Coca-Cola Cup, the Vodacom Challenge, the Telkom Charity Cup and the Mandela Cup. PS. All i can say is.. I wish you'd seen him in action then you will truly be amazed with the gift God bestowed upon this Wayward Genius! Peace,Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jafarel. Posted March 16, 2006 I feel sorry for the the guy...but then, that's self destruction and he has only himself to blame. I just wish he had ARSENE WENGER as a mentor/coach.. I too was a footballing genius in my teens (according to the locals).... ahh the good old days... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Posted March 16, 2006 I just wish he had ARSENE WENGER as a mentor/coach.. I agree. we probly woulda had another ronaldinho in the premiership. I know this player but i never saw him kick a ball. he was in the 'championship manager' game and he was one of the first players to be signed by clubs at the start of the game. i think he was a midfielder, central/left... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keyz 1-8-7 Posted March 19, 2006 Truly sad, how he could have represented his country in Europe like Quentin Fortune, Benni and Pienaar. Just goes to show that some people are not made for popularity. Another young South African now with the Orlando Pirates, goes by the name of Lebohang Mokoena, will surely be good player. I noticed him in the Football Manager game, and he was just awesome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted March 20, 2006 Originally posted by The Notorious 1-8-7: Another young South African now with the Orlando Pirates, goes by the name of Lebohang Mokoena, will surely be good player. I noticed him in the Football Manager game, and he was just awesome. Pule is far superior to all those you mentioned above, I believe if he'd had a father at home to look up to today we would’ve all been too happy to shower him with accolades but Pule grew up idolizing Thugs and that is the difference between him and those other players. Lebohang Mokoena aka "Cheese Boy" is a talented youngster, he's 18 and has already played Africa Cup of Nations at Egypt and big and bright future is expected and predicted for him as well and he comes from a good family background and his Dad is always with him and he's not allowed to go out on weekdays as he's still at school and on weekends his parents expect him to be home at 11:30-12:00 at the latest. last year his team Orlando Pirates won a league cup and he left the after party at 10:00 PM with the Chairman simply because the Chairman agreed he'd bring him home at 10:00 (he was 17 then). anyway so far he seems to have his feet firmly on the ground and he always speaks highly of his family and the important role they play not only in his life but also his career and that's a good sign. he likes to dribble too much and sometimes he does outrageous things but that is always a good sign in a young player, most players tend to get cold feet in big matches but great players rise to the occasion and that's what Mokoena and Pule have in common. Peace,Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SoMa_InC Posted March 20, 2006 Sup Bob? Sxb Bafana Bafana is history, get over it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keyz 1-8-7 Posted March 20, 2006 Bob, I 've never actually seen him play, but from what I heard, he seems not only a good player but a self disciplined person, Have you got any videos on him? PS: Is he great in the air as he is in Football Manager? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by SoMa_InC: Sup Bob? Sxb Bafana Bafana is history, get over it Salama Caleykum W.W my brother from another Mother...SoMa_InC .. Bro...i have never ever supported Bafana Bafana in my life...locally i like Kaizer Chiefs simply because of their beautiful Football and if you guys remember when Spurs came here to play two friendly matches against Chiefs & Pirates.. i was at the Stadium the second match when they played against Chiefs and this same player (Pule) made Jamie Rednapp look ridiculous footballer and i had to stand up and clap for him when he put the ball through his legs twice in a same move.. ..try to get a video or dvd of that match and watch it..then you will realize how talented Pule is . Peace,Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted March 22, 2006 The Notorious 1-8-7, Yeah he is a nice kid and his girlfriend is HOT .. there is a Somali kid named Fuad and they used to be in the same junior team and good friends but unfortunately Fuad broke his leg and when he recovered his parents refused him to carry on playing football and i wastold that the Chairman of Pirates came to Fuad's home to see if he could make his parentschange their mind but unfortunately couldn't and as they say..The rest is history...i am not being bias but i believe Fuad was more talented than Cheese_Boy! he doesn't score many goals and but whe he does they tend to be a special goals..i will be lying if i said he is or he isn't good in the air bro..cause i have never seen him score with his head so i am afraid i can't tell you about his heading ability... i don't have videos of him but i think i can get them..(i hope). Peace,Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SoMa_InC Posted March 22, 2006 Ws Wr Wb@Bob. Hope you doing fine brother. Thanks for the highlight sxb, I'll try and see if I can get a dvd of that game. Sometimes some people are not meant to make it big even though they possess lots of talent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
