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Masango staying? Tinkler still to make a call

MANDLA MASANGO’S future at SuperSport United will all depend on whether Eric Tinkler is keen on having the player in his squad leading up to the new season or not.

The 27-year old Bafana Bafana international,

joined Matsatsantsa a Pitori on a loan deal in the middle of last season from his Danish side, Randers FC, after it was reported that he was not happy there, and that he was keen on reuniting with his former coach, Stuart Baxter, whom he worked with at Kaizer Chiefs before.

That reunion at SuperSport though, could only last for, interestingly enough, the agreed upon six months, as the Scotsman was later appointed the new Bafana head coach.

SuperSport chairman, Khulu Sibiya, stated that the decision on keeping Masango at the club was not entirely up to him, as he still has to sit down with his new coach, Tinkler, to hear whether he’d be interested in keeping the player or not. Masango’s loan deal contract with Matsatsantsa will expire at the end of this month.

“Mandla Masango’s case is not resolved as yet,” Sibiya said. “He joined us in the middle of the season on a sixmonth loan deal and according to the contract, he’s still a Randers’ player. They are the ones who have the power as to whether to sell him or not, not us. He has only a few days left with us until his future is decided.

“But then again,” Sibiya added, “you have this issue of the new coach coming in. Baxter just left us for Bafana following our (4-1) victory over Pirates in Durban (this past weekend), and Tinkler is still to make changes in his squad. He still has to present to me his overall analysis of the squad and decide on which players he’d like to keep, buy or release leading up to the new season.”

Meanwhile, Safa media officer Mahlomola Morake stated that there was nothing that Safa could do when it comes to clubs deciding not to release their players for this ongoing Cosafa tournament in Rustenburg, as it doesn’t fall under the Fifa calendar. Both Masango and Lebogang Phiri of French Ligue 1 side, Guingamp, were not released by their respective teams, forcing Baxter to make two alterations in his squad by bringing in Mohau Mokate (Maritzburg United) and Jamie Webber (Stellenbosch FC) as replacements for both players.

Bafana have been in camp since last Friday, and will lock horns with either Malawi, Tanzania, Mauritius or Angola in their quarter-final on Sunday at Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

Goalkeepers:

Boalefa Pule (SuperSport United); Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs); Darren Johnson (Ajax Cape Town)

Lorenzo Gordinho (Kaizer Chiefs); Innocent Maela (Thanda Royal Zulu); Tercious

Defenders:

Malepe (Orlando Pirates); Mario Booysen (SuperSport United); Mothobi Mvala (Highlands Park); Sandile Mthethwa (Pirates); Thendo Mukumela (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Aubrey Ngoma (Cape Town City); Mohau Mokate (Maritzburg United); Lehlogonolo Masalesa (Larissa, Greece); Jamie Webber (Stellenbosch FC); Nduduzo Sibiya (Golden Arrows); Sibongakonke Mbatha (Bidvest Wits); Lebogang Maboe (Maritzburg United); Thabo Cele (Real Clubbe FC, Portugal)

Judas Moseamedi (Cape Town City FC); Liam Jordan (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal)

Midfielders: Strikers: