WHILE his former teammate at Mamelodi Sundowns, Nyasha Mushekwi, has found a new home in Sweden, defender Method Mwanjali continues to languish at the cash-rich South African Premier Soccer League giants.
BY WELLINGTON TONI
Mushekwi, signed from Caps United in 2010 after ensuring Zimbabwe’s qualification for the inaugural edition of the African Nations Championships (Chan) that were held in Ivory Coast a year later, returned 28 goals in 80 appearances for the Brazilians. The big striker was then loaned to KV Oostende in Belgium in the 2013/2014 season before returning home and then taking flight to Sweden where he joined Djurgadens IF. There, he has scored five goals in seven matches.
Now, this is what must be making Mwanjali an angry man.
Aged 32 and certainly in the twilight of his international career, the former Hwange and Shabanie Mine defender needs one last pay cheque before he can settle down to other things.
But news filtering from Tshwane suggests Sundowns are not willing to give him the easy route as they have an option of a year on his contract which expires on June 30, 2015.
And Sundowns, coached by Pitso Mosimane and managed by Warriors legend Peter Ndlovu, are said to be seriously considering exercising that option.
A source told South African football publication Soccer Laduma that despite him not being registered and not kicking a ball this season, Mwanjali might still be a Sundowns player until end of June 2016.
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“He is very angry. He thought at the end of this season he would be a free agent, but the news that indicates that the team has an option on his contract has made him angry,” said the anonymous source.
“The player feels that this is unfair, as the team did not want to play him this season. They did not register him and he does not want to be in the same situation next season,” the source told Laduma.
He is on the payroll — earning good money from billionaire Patric Motsepe — but he still prefers to play the game and earn his keep and he thought he had done that when he moved to Mpumalanga Black Aces two seasons ago, but was recalled.
This was on the hope that he would be registered to play for Sundowns but, again, that never happened.
As the Premiership season ends tomorrow, Mwanjali, who once captained Black Aces, will be hoping the football gods smile on him.
Sundowns is home to fellow Zimbabwean internationals Esrom Nyandoro, who in his 12th year there, is set for a management position at the club, Khama Billiat and their leading scorer Cuthbert Malajila.
Billiat is wanted in France and after the investment that the club did in him when he was signed from Ajax Cape Town, they might let him go if the price is right.
Malajila was signed from Maritzburg United after stellar careers at Chapungu, Highlanders and Dynamos, but at 29 now, moving to Europe might not be possible. He had stints at Club Africain in Tunisia before a six-month stay in war-ravaged Libya with Al Akhdar.
While Mwanjali is failing to find a team, fellow Zimbabwe and Black Aces striker Tendai Ndoro remains a target of giants Orlando Pirates.
Laduma sources say the former Chicken Inn hitman could be involved in a swap deal with Aubrey Ngoma. Ngoma is a Pirates player on loan to Aces and could make his move permanent to facilitate Ndoro’s departure to Johannesburg.
