Mamelodi Sundowns co-head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has revealed some details around Lyle Lakay’s loan move to Cape Town City.
The 31-year-old completed a season-long loan to City on Deadline Day after somewhat falling down the pecking order at Masandawana in the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign and the arrival of Terrence Mashego.
In a radio interview Lakay stated that he didn’t speak to the Downs coaches about his situation apart from a brief chat with Rulani Mokwena, but afterwards some statements were taken out of context, with some suggesting he had stated he was forced out of the club.
Lakay has since set the record straight in an exclusive interview with iDiski Times, saying he was informed about the loan move a week in advance and was not forced out. However, Mngqithi was also asked about the situation ahead of his side’s MTN8 semi-final first leg against Orlando Pirates.
“He is still our player, by the way, just for your information,” he told local journalists.
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“We released him because we wanted him to get more game time for him, because we are looking at our squad and we are saying, if you got a player of Lyle’s age and his game time is already affected in terms of how we started the season.
“But he has served the club very well. We are very proud of what he has done for us and we are in full support of him pursuing his endeavours of going to Cape Town City because that is also good for the player to get game time regularly, be in that space where Cape Town City is going to compete in the CAF Champions League.
“But we’ve got a very amicable and a nice relationship with the boy, I would not want to spoil that by talking things where I know for a fact are not true because I know the caliber of a player he is and the person that he is. I’ve worked for him for many years.
“All I can say is to wish him all the best in his new environment and hope he can deliver what is expected of Cape Town City.”
