Downs face exodus of stars
Pitso has about two weeks to tie down his star players
Mamelodi Sundowns are racing against time to retain some of their key players.
Such is the uncertainty about some of their players’ future with the club that head coach Pitso Mosimane has gone from throwing in the towel in terms of keeping Khama Billiat to now being confident. Mosimane admitted sometime ago that Billiat and Leanardo Castro, whose contracts expire at the end of June 2018, were set to leave at the end of the season, as they have not renewed at this stage. “Jingles”, however, was singing a different tune after the 1-0 win against Golden Arrows at the weekend. “I think Khama will renew, in my belief, because he knows that we need him and he knows that we love him. He knows that if he is not going to get that biggest contract somewhere else, he must stay here,” Mosimane said.
It’s not only Billiat and Castro who will be out of contract in just over six months. Themba Zwane, Tiyani Mabunda and Tebogo Langerman are also in the same boat.
The number appears to have reduced from at least seven to five after Mosimane confirmed that Siyanda Zwane and Kennedy Mweene have penned new deals, but there has been no confirmation from the club regarding the duo.
Sowetan tried in vain over the past few days to get comment from Sundowns’ legal and commercial manager Yogesh Singh about the situation.
The Brazilians have just over two weeks to tie down their star men or risk seeing them sign pre-contracts with other teams. They lost their former captain, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, to Kaizer Chiefs in a similar fashion last year.
According to Fifa rules, “a professional shall only be free to conclude a contract with another club if his contract with his present club has expired or is due to expire within six months”.
This means that the abovementioned players will be free to talk to other clubs from January 1, which will make it even more difficult for Sundowns to keep them.