SuperSport to conclude season with 20 players

SUPERSPORT United chief executive Stan Matthews says the club will likely conclude the season with 20 players, considering they won’t be renewing some players’ contracts that will expire on June 30.

In the last few weeks, hopes have been raised about a possible resumption of the PSL season that was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic in March.

But be that as it may, the season will now possibly collude after its original end date of June with the close season transfer window usually running from July until August.

SuperSport, moreover, have been vocal in their approach going forward, saying they won’t hang on to some of the players whose contracts were set to expire this month, albeit Fifa saying outgoing players can extend their contracts until the season is completed.

Early last month, Matthews confirmed that Thabo Mnyamane and Thabo Qalinge will be leaving SuperSport at the end of the month when their respective deals expire.

With captain Dean Furman, having already left Matsatsantsa – to reunite with his family in the UK – there could be more players who could leave the Tshwane-based club come the end of the month.

Siyabonga Nhlapo, Clayton Daniels, Bongani Khumalo, Ndivhuwo Ravhuhali and Billy Mutale are yet to sign new deals with SuperSport, albeit they are still in the last four weeks of their contracts with the club.

“Now that Dean and the other players are leaving, we’ve only got 20 players that will play in our last six matches of the season. So, we’ll be a small sized squad,” said Matthews.

“We’ve got a lot of contracts that we won’t be renewing when they come to an end at the end of June. So those players will probably not be eligible to play for us until the end of the season. So, we’ll just have to soldier on without them. It is, what it is.”

Matthews also stated that the decision to release Mnyamane and Qalinge was taken after the duo spent more time on the sidelines being injured than on the field of play – despite being professional and friendly during their respective stints with SuperSport.

“We are fairly settled. But there were some other players who we were supposed to take them up on their options by the end of last month, so we were hoping to see them for a couple of matches (before making a decision),” Matthews said.

“I think the fact that we got a player like (Guily) Manziba who’s a winger, obviously sent a strong message to Qalinge and Mnyamane that we can’t go and buy another winger when there are two other wingers at the club. It means they’ve lost their place.

“We wish them well because it has nothing to do with their attitude, but I need people who will be playing at least 1 000 minutes for me in a season. I can’t have people play a couple of 100 minutes and expect to keep their contracts.”

On a brighter note, Matthews says he is thrilled that SuperSport’s record signing Evans Rusike would have fully recovered from a long-term injury when – and if – the resumption of the domestic season gets the go-ahead in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, the PSL board of governors is set to hold a virtual press conference at 11am today, where top of their agenda will be the way forward, considering the Task Team submitted a “massive single camp” recommendation to Safa’s joint liaison committee on Monday.