Jimmy Tau facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jimmy Raboholo Tau | ||
| Date of birth | 23 July 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Kimberley, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Basotho Tigers | 34 | (6) |
| 2001–2002 | Maritzburg City | 28 | (3) |
| 2002–2005 | Orlando Pirates | 73 | (4) |
| 2005–2013 | Kaizer Chiefs | 165 | (5) |
| Total | 300 | (18) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2003–2007 | South Africa | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 July 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 July 2012 |
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Jimmy Tau is a famous South African soccer player. He was born on July 23, 1980, in Kimberley, Northern Cape. Jimmy played as a right-back, which is a defensive position in soccer. He played for big teams like Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in South Africa's top league. He also played for his country, South Africa, in international matches, including the 2006 African Nations Cup.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting with Basotho Tigers
Jimmy Tau began his soccer journey with Basotho Tigers in the 1999/2000 season. This was in the semi-professional league called the Vodacom League. His team was later promoted to the National First Division.
Moving to Maritzburg City
In the 2001/2002 season, Jimmy joined Maritzburg City. He played 28 games for the team. He helped them finish in a good third place in the league.
Playing for Orlando Pirates
Before the 2002/2003 season, Tau signed with Orlando Pirates. This was a big move for him. He helped the "Buccaneers," as they are known, win the league championship that very season.
Time with Kaizer Chiefs
Jimmy Tau joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2005. His first game for Chiefs was on August 20, 2005. It was a cup match where they lost 2–1 to Bloemfontein Celtic. He scored his first goal for Chiefs on April 23, 2006, in a league game against Silver Stars, which Chiefs won 2–1.
Tau became the captain of Kaizer Chiefs. He stayed with the club for eight years. During his time there, the team won many trophies. These included two Nedbank Cup trophies, two MTN8 cups, and three Telkom Knockout medals. They also won the Absa Premiership trophy in the 2012/2013 season. By the time he left, Jimmy Tau had played 210 matches for Kaizer Chiefs.
Playing for South Africa
Jimmy Tau made his first international appearance for South Africa on October 8, 2003. This was in a match against Lesotho in Maseru, which South Africa won 3–0. He was part of the South African team that played in the 2006 AFCON tournament. His last international game was on March 28, 2007. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss against Bolivia.
How Jimmy Tau Played
Jimmy Tau was known as a strong and attacking right-back. He was very good at tackling opponents. He also had excellent timing when challenging for the ball.
Retiring from Soccer
Jimmy Tau announced that he was retiring from professional soccer on his 33rd birthday. This was on July 23, 2013, at the Conference Centre in Soweto Hotel, Gauteng. One of the main reasons he retired was because of an injury.
Life After Soccer
New Ventures
In December 2012, Jimmy Tau became a director at Bataung Memorial Tombstones. This company makes tombstones and is based in Katlehong.
Survivor South Africa
In October 2013, Jimmy Tau was one of three former sports stars who took part in Survivor South Africa. This popular TV show was filmed on an island off Malaysia in the South China Sea. Other sports stars included former Lazio defender Mark Fish and former Springbok captain Corné Krige. Jimmy described the island as "a beautiful island, that is extremely hot and very humid."
His Autobiography
On December 25, 2013, Jimmy Tau released his own book. It was called "Jimmy Tau - My Life Story."
