Cape Town Spurs duo Asanele Velebayi and Khaya Mfecane find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.
The duo has been struggling for game-time at Spurs since gaining promotion to the DStv Premiership. Mfecane, who was a regular last season, has only played 240 minutes in all competitions.
Velebayi played a huge role in the side gaining promotion via the promotional playoffs last season coming from the bench in most matches, but he has played only 290 minutes in 2023/24.
Both players are represented by Football First, a player management company run by Glyn Binkin and Lance Davids, that were mentioned in an Urban Warriors letter to players’ parents as an agency that has been blacklisted by the club.
Speaking with Football First representative Lance Davids he mentioned various things regarding the situation of the youngsters.
“According to what I heard the players have been asked to go on loan to Venda FC and Maritzburg United,” Davids told iDiski Times.
“In my opinion as an agent, I don’t think it’s the right move for them.
“Number two, they were told which agent to go with. The bottom line is that [CEO] Alexi [Efstathiou] is trying to tell players in the club which agent they need to go with, that’s the problem the CEO is trying to do. They are forcing players to which agent they need to be with.
“He doesn’t talk to me, he doesn’t want to speak with me, the club doesn’t want to work with Football First or Lance Davids and that’s why he is being like this with Asanele and Khaya, he wants them to take the agent he gives them.
“I spoke with [Technical Director] Sean [Connor], I told him this is not what the players want.
“I asked the amount [they want] because I know Stellenbosch, they were interested in Asanele, and Chippa United were also recently interested.
“So I hear their price on Asanele R6.5million, and Khaya R5 million, both players are not starting, not even on the bench at times, but he wants to sell them for this type of money?
“He is the one that said these players cost this type of money. But to put this price on players that are not playing, and then you want to send them on loan?
“You don’t want to work with me, fine, then sell the players, but then they gave this type of price, R6 million for Asanele and R5 million for Khaya?”
“I only want what’s best for the players, and I don’t think these loans are right for them.”
Spurs CEO Efstathiou confirmed the pair are available for loan but would not comment on their values.
“We spoke to the players yesterday after training and communicated that they may not be in the coaches plans for the remaining part of this season and that there is a possibility for that [going on loan],” Efstathiou told iDiski Times.
“Yesterday, soon after meeting with the players, our TD, Sean Connor, received a call from Lance enquiring about our conversation with the players. He tried to imply, that the turn of events was due to their involvement with Football First.
“This narrative that they are trying to promote is not true, and we told him that it was a purely a footballing decision. We also told them that if any club was interested in them for an outright transfer, that would also be looked at, if the transfer fee was acceptable to the club.
“Khaya and Asanele have been with the club since very young and we will look after their wellbeing until such time that it is right for them to leave the club.
“Last evening, we received a call from Chippa [United], who wanted to offer us a swap deal for the outright transfer of a 34-year-old of theirs for Asanele, which we obviously declined.”
Mr Efstathiou, also confirmed the non-relationship between the club and Football First, stating that any trust between the parties had been destroyed over the past few years.
“There’s no relationship between us [club] with Football First, the trust has been broken. They want to work their own way; we want to work our own way that’s the way business works,” he added.
“Three years ago, I offered to have a cup of coffee with Lance, with the intention to pave a way forward and to mend the relationship, but he declined. Around the same time is when he took Patrick Fisher away from the club, without the club’s knowledge, only for us to find he had joined Cape Town City through the media.
“This is why we felt we needed to make the players and parents aware of the status of our relationship because it is only fair to do so. Many parents entrust the club with their son’s football development from as early as 10 and 11 years of age.
“It is therefore in their best interest and ours to make sure they know our stance regarding football agents and that’s how it should be. “
