Cape Town City FC coach Eric Tinkler has shed light on the decision to release midfielder Khanya Leshabela after a short stint at the club.
Leshabela joined CT City during the January transfer window after the Cape club suffered a major injury crisis in its midfield.
The Citizens had lost Brice Ambina through injury, and Thato Mokeke to long-term injury, which led to the team to release him. Mokeke went on to join their relegated neighbours, Cape Town Spurs.
When Leshabela joined CT City, he had been without a club since he cut ties with former Premier League champions Leicester City at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Since joining Tinkler’s side, Leshabela featured in nine games across all competitions for CT City in his five months at the club.
ERIC TINKLER CLARIFIES KHANYA LESHABELA’S DEPARTURE
Tinkler revealed that the club opted against renewing Leshabela’s contract, as he had joined his side on a short-term deal.
He went on to state that the club’s signing of Leshabela wasn’t a mistake because he contributed to the team.
“Well, it all happened. As you said, we lost Ambina and Thato Mokeke due to injuries. Those two players were key players for us through the midfield,” said Tinkler. “So, we went through quite a rough period, and we needed to find a solution very quickly.
“We heard about Khanya’s availability, so it was a short-term fix, you know. We signed him until the end of the season.”
Tinkler further explained that Leshabela knew what kind of deal they had agreed on, so it was not something that the player wasn’t aware of.
“We said that from there, we would make a decision whether we would renew for the following season. So, he knew what type of a deal it was,” added Tinkler.
“Was it a mistake? No, because ultimately he did contribute when he came on. But like I said, we were already in stages of signing players for the new season.”
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