SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews has broken his silence on losing Thatayaone Ditlhokwe on a free transfer to Kaizer Chiefs.
Ditlhokwe, 24, signed a pre-contract with the Amakhosi but will spend the remainder of the season with SuperSport, who were said to be agitated with timing of the announcement of the move and opted against am early January release.
Matthews, though, insisted he’s got no problems with the player, knowing he will continue to give his all for Matsatsantsa.
“Loyalty means nothing anymore. There is no space for sentiment with players and agents. It’s about show me the money,” he said on Wednesday during the launch of the club’s new sponsorship with iKhokha.
“We experienced that right now with the young lad from Botswana, who came to us with pretty much not much and we’re very proud of how we’ve worked with TT, the human being that he is, a fantastic young man, a great leader, a captain of his national team. A humble young man and somebody we’re very, very with what he’s done at the club.
“That’s why, even after he’s signed his pre-contract and I kind of knew in November already that he wasn’t going to stay with us.
“I could tell from the negotiations and the way things were going that they were already thinking to go elsewhere but I didn’t have any hesitation to think it’s fine, I’ll see out the season with TT because he’s a great character, he’ll give me a 1000% right until the end, his last day. he’s done that since he joined the Football Club.
“I can’t complain about a player leaving on a pre-contract when I’ve signed over 200 players on a pre-contract over the years. You live by the sword, you got to know that one day you get a sword.
“It doesn’t affect me in any way whatsoever. I’m tremendously happy for TT that he could go and make that kind of money at Kaizer Chiefs. Hats off to him. He deserves it, his family deserve it.
“As I’ve said all the time at SuperSport, when you get to a certain stage [in your career] that you’re too big for the club, your wages are too big, as long as you put in your effort, as long as you give a 1000%, you show your commitment, we’re happy for you to go on and achieve better things.
“And TT is going to be a son of the club, even in future. Now, he’s going to be on cover of magazines and he’s going to get all the limelight because he’s belonging to Kaizer Chiefs, he never got that SuperSport – wonderful for him.”
The Botswana captain has represented SuperSport 76 times since joining the Premier Soccer League side from Township Rollers.
