BY FORTUNE MBELE
BAFANA Bafana legend Teko Modise believes Kaizer Chiefs should have honoured former Warriors skipper Willard Katsande by at least handing him another contract.
In an interview on SoccerLaduma radio on Thursday, the former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns star says he is baffled that Katsande only got a contract extension to play in the Caf Champions League only to be dismissed soon after.
After spending 10 years at Naturena, Katsande’s contract with Kaizer Chiefs expired in June, but played in champions league final on July 17 against Al Ahly in Morocco and with high hopes of a contract extension, he was laid off.
He has since joined new DStv Premiership side Sekhukhune United.
Modise says he saw Katsande’s exit coming.
“With what happened with Katsande, it’s been happening season after season on different players. It’s just that now it happens when Kaizer Chiefs was a topic of conversation. You have a player that has his contract expired and you sign an extension so you can have him play in the Champions League, you play the Champions League and now the final is done you don’t wanna renew and you say you are good you can try somewhere else,” Modise says.
The former Bafana Bafana midfielder says it is not new in South Africa.
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“This is the problem we have been facing in South African football where the fans will come back and say to the players themselves; you were not loyal to us when you left, we did not like the way you did when you left the team forgetting that in football there is no loyalty, especially in this country. Loyalty doesn’t pay in South Africa. You have this guy that with so many things he has done for the team, he comes back, known for a fact that he is not injured and that he can still play; they write him off,” Modise says.
He added: “Therefore, they say we know that you can still play but not here. What you do in this situation is say we wanna honour you, give you two more years but you must know that you are not in the coach’s plans, this and that, but we don’t want to lose you because you are important. So that Katsande now knows his role, starts adjusting from that but they never gave him the chance. That is why I am saying from Katsande’s story we will see more of those coming.”
However, Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter said Katsande will one day return to Chiefs in another role.
Katsande yesterday confirmed the same to iDiski Times.
“Of course, I am going to round up my career somewhere, if somebody comes and they want me, obviously I’m going to go and see chairman and everyone associated with the brand. Remember, I’m not just leaving like a player who played just two seasons with Chiefs, I’m leaving as someone who offered more than a decade at the club, something they really value. I’m going to round up my career while I’m also taking my badges. When I’m done, I will come back home. I’m sure it’s going to work both ways,” Katsande said.
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