The story behind the scenes
No European buy-out clause
During his time with SuperSport, the midfielder boasted a buyout clause of around R12 million, which European clubs were not willing to meet, according to his representative.
“From Tebza’s perspective, when he was at SuperSport and European clubs thought that the price of €600 000 (±R12.3 million), which was the buy-out clause in the SuperSport contract at the time, was expensive, I always said to them then that anyone who pays that will get their money back ten-fold in a couple of years,” Binkin told Soccer Laduma.
“He’s certainly shown with his performances on the field that his value is worth what any club is prepared to pay. From a buy-out perspective, we don’t have any buy-out clause in his contract with Sundowns. But the player told Sundowns from the onset that whilst he’s focused on Sundowns and South Africa, his ultimate destination is to play football at the highest level. So, they are aware of that from the onset. Obviously, they are not just gonna let the player walk away for nothing. But if the right offer comes … I’ve been assured by the club that if the offer is right for the player and the club, they won’t stand in his way.”
Based on just how much his stock has risen, you can expect the Tshwane giants to demand the highest possible transfer fee for their player. That – and the fact that he has two-and-a-half years left on his current contract, which expires in June 2026.
Which league would suit him best?
The Bethlehem-born star, as reported by the Siya crew, has interest from England and France from two clubs who could possibly meet Sundowns’ evaluation of him. But which league would suit him best? This is no issue for the player’s camp, who are confident that he can ply his trade in any league in the world.
“Look, Tebza has shown in the Cup of Nations that he can mix it up with the best in the world. He has the robustness, which has developed over the last year probably, particularly in his game, and he’s had to develop that, especially in Africa and also, he has the finesse to play. I’m sure you saw the fine passes and the good eye that he had in threading the ball through to his teammates – and so he has that as well. So, I have no doubt that he can play in any league in the world.”
Crucial period ahead…
Both Mokoena’s coach and his representative have reiterated the importance of the next six months. The six-time consecutive league champions are competing on a number of fronts both domestically and abroad, while Bafana Bafana will switch their attention to 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, in which the midfielder is expected to play a big part. “What he’s done up to now is part and parcel of the drive that that he needs to show over the next six months, and it’s (an) important six months for Sundowns. They need to try and win the CAF Champions League. They also need to do well on the domestic front. They are obviously doing really well in the league at the moment and also have the African Football League coming up, and Bafana has a number of games coming up as well, so it’s no use resting on his laurels after what he’s achieved in the Africa Cup of Nations. He needs to continue to work hard. But I know Tebza is the type of character that he is, I have no doubt that he’ll continue to work hard and showcase what he’s able to do both for club and for country, and hopefully earn himself a move aboard,” Binkin said. His sentiments were echoed by Mokwena, who has urged his players to fully focus on the next six months, which is crucial to the success of the club this season. “The good thing about this is that for the next six months, all of us – myself included, Tebza, ‘Mshishi’ (Themba Zwane), Ronza (Ronwen Williams), Gaston Sirino, Bongani Zungu, Sipho Mbule – are committed to making sure that we are gonna be here until the end of the season, that’s for sure,” he said in a Radio2000 interview. “That means that everybody’s got to be invested and give 150% while they are still at the club. Fortunately, that is our immediate focus and that we have our players coming back, the window is closed, so there can’t be any movements in and out anymore. “So, as the ones that are at the club, we’ve got a responsibility to do everything we can to make sure the club achieves its objectives and that’s the fortunate part about the situation of the very good performances at Afcon,” he concluded.