SuperSport CEO Stan Matthews has questioned Sipho Mbule’s conduct amid rumours linking him to Kaizer Chiefs, insisting he will not be allowed to move this window.
The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a transfer to Naturena, with his agent Mike Makaab indicating earlier in the week that a move could potentially still happen before the January window shuts on Monday, 31 January.
However, Matthews has now slammed the door shut on a potential exit of Mbule, saying he needs to improve his conduct and show the club more respect.
“There is no chance that he’s going to be let go this window,” Matthews told Thomas Mlambo on the Ultimate Sport Show.
“That’s a discussion we can have in six months time, depending on Sipho and the way he approaches his career and his attitude towards the club.
“As I said Teboho [Mokoena] has been professional and done everything top drawer. Hence we allowed his move six months early because he deserved it.
“Likewise with Modiba, likewise with Grant Kekana. The players that have shown the club respect, the players that have shown their loyalty to the club, the club has supported them to have fantastic lives in football and there has been no exceptions in this regard from Kamohelo Mokotjo to Kermit Erasmus, to Dane Klate, I mention many…”
Matthews explained that Mbule came back overweight from the recent Christmas break, something which is “unacceptable” for a professional but also insisted he will eventually be granted his move and could go on to achieve big things.
“I think Sipho has got some improvement to show in his attitude towards training and towards application,” he added.
“We respect that clubs have come and made offers towards him. It seems right as a professional to get other offers, no one in the whole world wouldn’t want Sipho to go on and achieve big things for big money just like Teboho.
“But Teboho has done ABC off the field and in his conduct and approach that’s earned him his move but Sipho has fallen short in one or two of those areas.
“He knows that, that’s why he hasn’t been playing recently for the club. You know, he’s a special asset, he’s a marvel of some form, but you only have to look at Sipho’s physical condition, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that he’s not applying himself to the full extent of his career.
“You can’t come back from a Christmas break 5 Kilograms over weight. It’s not acceptable in the professional football world and if you want to earn millions and millions of Rand, you’ve got to have self-discipline, you need to have respect for your colleagues and coaches and the badge that you play for and you need to put in your best at all times, not take your foot of the pedal when you think everybody’s chasing you for your signature, because that’s not the right attitude to have.”
