Since he first harboured ambitions of one day becoming a professional soccer player a game had not passed without his mother communicating with him to see how things panned out for her son. When David Mathebula returned to training earlier this week he did it with the knowledge that the daily phone calls from the biggest motivating factor and inspirational element in his life will be no more.

David was away for the past fortnight at the home he helped build for his family in his traditional village outside of Giyani in the Limpopo Province to lay his mother to rest.

Petrolia Mathebula, had been ill for some time and passed away recently and was buried this past Saturday close to her home outside Giyani, David had always been supported by his mother who made many sacrifices to ensure that her son had the necessary support to fulfil his dream of becoming a soccer player.

The Amakhosi midfielder who had been in scintillating form recently attributed his rise in form to his mother’s recent state of health, whenever she got news he had done well - she felt a lot of relief from the pain she was undergoing.

David attributes the support from officials and team mates as Chiefs as well as various messages of condolences from fans, helped him climb through what was a very difficult period in his life. “When you lose someone dear to you it is never easy and I must thank Chiefs, my team mates and a lot of supporters for lending their support to me in this tough time and it really pulled me out of what could have been a difficult patch” said David.

Chiefs also sent a group of players and club officials to the funeral which was held on the 1st of April for which David was grateful, as he commented “ my family and I were really pleased to see the guys took time out to travel all the way out to Giyani for the funeral, I know if the guys were not playing over the weekend more of them would have attended the funeral”.

In his quest to be back in contention for a place in the team when Chiefs take on Bush Bucks in a PSL game on Saturday - he has been working extra hard at being match fit, and came through forty five minutes unscathed when Chiefs took on first division outfit PJ Stars in a friendly match on Tuesday afternoon.