'I bought land and a car while earning R8000'

Helder ‘Mano-Mano’ Muianga has revealed how money influenced his decision to join Black Leopards this time of the years back in 2002.

Mano-Mano had been at Manning Rangers where he was earning R8000 after signing from Mozambican club Costa do Sol three years earlier having been spotted playing in the COSAFA Castle Cup.

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The Rangers salary was better than the R2500 that he got at Costa do Sol but towards the end of his third season he had grown frustrated.

"Back in 1999 when I got to Rangers, R8000 was good money I managed to buy land in Mozambique, bought a second-hand car, and ran a company back home," reveals Mano-Mano, who is now retired.

"However, I was paid better money when I moved to Leopards because the boss (David) Thidiela wanted me.

"They gave me signing on fees and better salary than what I was getting at Rangers because they were the ones that came after me

"When the team wants you, they make the terms better.

"Right from my first meeting when he flew in to meet me at the airport in Durban, he had an envelope for me."

The retired footballer said the purpose of the envelope was to soften him up in opening the negotiations and he admits it worked.

"I was surprised that he came with an envelope which when I opened at home had some crispy notes.

"When we spoke at the airport, I said I will think about it, but I already knew I will join because he will give me what I wanted plus I wanted out of Rangers."

"This was straight after I had gone AWOL to China where I trained with a team in Guangzhou but couldn’t sign because I still had a contract with Rangers plus, I didn’t like it there.

"When I came back Thidiela was already looking for me and Rangers didn’t pay my salary for that month, so it made sense.

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"However, my teammate Antonio Trigo (Paulito) was discouraging me from going to Leopards saying I shouldn’t leave Durban for the farms in Venda.

"But my mind was made up and luckily for me I was taken care of at Leopards," says Mano-Mano.