Mabasa’s Swallows exit hangs on outstanding payments

Moroka Swallows dominated headlines last month after the Premier Soccer League announced that their two fixtures against Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows would be cancelled.

And according to a statement by the club and comments made by the SA Football Players’ Union, this was due to outstanding payments to players – particularly their December salaries.

It’s no surprise now that a few of the squad members have been linked with moves away from the club, and one of them is striker Tshegofatso Mabasa, the 27-yearold currently on loan from Orlando Pirates.

The lanky player has scored six goals in 15 matches for the Dube Birds and reports have suggested he is wanted by AmaZulu FC to reinforce a squad coach Pablo Franco Martin has said needs to be improved for the second half of the campaign.

While the interest hasn’t completely vanished, Soccer Laduma has been led to believe the striker is not keen on making the switch unless all monies owed to him are paid up before he can leave Swallows.

The Dube Birds have been in the news for some time now over claims that the club either pays salaries late or do not pay them at all, which led to what management has labelled an “illegal strike” to force the cancellation of the two fixtures.

Mabasa joined Pirates in July 2019 from Bloemfontein Celtic before owner Max Tshabalala sold the team two years later, but the forward now finds himself on loan for a second successive season.

It remains to be seen what will transpire in the next few weeks before the January window slams shut, but what the Siya crew has been told is that the player is only likely to move away from Swallows on condition that bills are settled.