A healthy lifestyle, discipline and a careful training load for Atisang Bati is the recipe for the new record holder in South African football.
Orbit College’s captain set a new mark as the oldest outfield player in the history of the South African game when he started for the newly promoted team in their first Betway Premiership outing against AmaZulu earlier this month and with each passing game he extends that record further.
He started again in Tuesday’s league match against Orlando Pirates one month and one day shy of his 43rd birthday.
“It's all about the lifestyle … discipline,” said his coach Poisgo Makhoye.
“He doesn't smoke. He doesn't drink. He trains hard and the way he looks after himself he could still find himself, I think, playing at the age of 45.”
Makhoye said the club paid special attention to the load on the veteran midfielder, who had never before competed in the top flight of South African football before this season’s promotion.
“We also help in terms of training; we have special training for him where sometimes we give him two days off and he comes back and joins us two days before a game. It’s all about training well and make sure that he stays healthy and disciplined,” Makhoye emphasised.
Previously the oldest outfield player in South African club football history was John Moshoeu, who was 42 years, four months and 27 days old when he played his last game for AmaZulu in May 2008.
In 2013, Andre Arendse became the oldest player in professional football history in the country when he kept goal for Bidvest Wits against Pretoria University, beating by months a more than 30-year-old record.
Arendse’s record is 45 years, 10 months and four days, edging by three months the record set by equally legendary goalkeeper Trevor Gething in 1982.
Arendse also beat the Premier Soccer League record set by another goalkeeper – Bruce Grobbelaar in 2002
The former Bafana Bafana stalwart, who was the Wits goalkeeping coach under Gavin Hunt, was pressed into action to help Wits out of a goalkeeping crisis and saw his club to a 2-1 away win against AmaTuks.
The previous record of 45 years, seven months and 22 days was held by Trevor Gething, who came out of retirement several times to help clubs in crisis.
He played for Pretoria Callies in 1979 aged 42 when they had a crisis and for Arcadia in 1981 and again in 1982, when he filled in for the injured Deshi Bhaktawer for 10 matches.
Grobbelaar was the oldest player in PSL history stretching back to 1997 but it was a contrived mark.
Grobbelaar was coach of Hellenic at the time and registered himself near the end of the season so that he could play the last game of the 2001-02 season against Kaizer Chiefs at the age of 44 years, six months and 21 days. He let in four goals.