admin
Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
SIMBA SITHOLE’S management says they don’t doubt the quality of the player who has now been released by two South African Premiership sides in as many year without making an impact.The Zimbabwe international forward was this week released by SuperSport and is now clubless again in his second stint in Super Diski.
The move has seen the former Pamushana striker being described on the social platforms as a cursed footballer after he also fell foul of injuries when he first arrived in South Africa and joined Mamelodi Sundowns.
Injuries also ruined his stay at SuperSport United and since he could not be fielded, with pressure mounting on the slots reserved for foreign players, the club’s management had no option but to cancel his contract.
His manager, Gibson Mahachi, yesterday said there was nothing peculiar with Sithole’s case as it happens all the time in football.
“Simba is a good player who can score goals and you can’t doubt his abilities. But there is nothing you can do about injuries.
“You cannot avoid them either. We are finalising his termination letters with the club and we will see what happens,” said Mahachi.
The manager said the player was just unfortunate in that when new coach Cavin Johnson came in at the end of the season Sithole was injured while the gaffer was under pressure to finalise his squad.
Sithole had managed to play five matches under former coach Gavin Hunt when he joined Matsatsansa in January.
He appeared to be liked by firebrand coach but did not immediately make an impact.
“When the season ended, he came for the off season injured so when they returned for the pre-season he was left out of the squad as the new coach had selected the players he wanted for the new season.
“It is understandable that a new coach cannot rely on player who is injured and doesn’t know how he plays.
“He has been struggling with a hamstring injury but he has since recovered. As a player you need to play constantly especially if you are a new player,” said Mahachi.
Mahachi said they were now looking for other pastures for the player and were not considering the local Premiership.
“Simba is in South Africa and he understands these things. He would be okay and will move on. We are looking for another club and we are confident that something will come up there.
“We are not considering his return here,” said Mahachi.
It has been one sad tale for the 22-year-old orphan, who joined CAPS United as a raw teenage from high school in 2011.
In his short spell with the Green Machine, Sithole scored 10 goals. By the time the transfer window opened in June he was snapped by Absa Premiership big spenders Mamelodi Sundowns.
But he never kicked a ball at the Brazilians and endured a frustrating year before he retuned home last year and joined Dynamos in September as a free agent.
He quickly regained his confidence and after three matches had scored as many goals.
He finished the season with a champions’ medal as the Glamour Boys retained the league title.
At the beginning of the year, Sithole packed his bags again and returned to South Africa to join another Pretoria side SuperSport.
It seemed poetic justice had been done for the young player who was treated badly by Mamelodi.
But six months down the line, it has come full circle again for Sithole who has been deemed excess baggage by the club.
Only time will tell how the player will rise from this ordeal and whether he will rejoin DeMbare or any other local club as he tries to relaunch his career again.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe international defender Thomas Sweswe is yet to kick a ball at Wits University this season as he is still processing his permanent residence papers.
Sweswe, who now has four years in South Africa since joining Kaizer Chiefs in 2009, is hoping to use the other years he stayed in South Africa previously with former Premiership club Manning Rangers for his permanent residence status.
If he gets such a status, it means that he will be registered as a local player, freeing the slots reserved for foreign players.
Online Reporter