Siyethemba Sithebe shares reasons for abrupt Richards Bay departure
Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyethemba Sithebe has shared the reasons behind his abrupt departure from Richards Bay FC.
Sithebe was released by The Natal Rich Boyz a few months after joining the club for the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season. The KZN-born midfielder signed with Richards Bay on a free transfer in July 2024 after parting ways with Chiefs at the end of last season.
Sithebe’s ambitions of bringing his career back on track in his home province were cut short by the dramatic exit at Bay. In his short stint with Richards Bay, Sithebe featured in eight appearances in all competitions and left before making any big impact.
As reported by Kickoff, Sithebe was dismissed at Richards Bay on allegations of misconduct following an exchange of words with the technical team.
WHAT DID SITHEBE SAY ABOUT LEAVING RICHARDS BAY?
In an interview with FARPost, the 32-year-old revealed that he was trying to voice out his concerns as a senior player on decisions made by the coaching staff after a defeat.
“What I can say is that sometimes you do things as a senior player, not knowing that they can put you in a bad situation,” Sithebe told FARPost. “The situation happened in the changing room after the game because, as a senior player, you stand up if things are not going well, and you know the emotions were high; I didn’t know this was going to end the way it did.
“And what I can say is that our situation with Richards wasn’t that bad because, after a loss, I could see that the decisions made by the coaches could have been better.
“I spoke out in the dressing room, trying to show coaches that some of the decisions they take are not good, that’s what happened.”
In the SA’s top-flight, Sithebe made a name for himself at AmaZulu FC before earning a high-profile move to Chiefs.
The central midfielder played his best football with Usuthu, where he featured in 132 matches, scored eight goals and provided nine assists. At Chiefs, Sithebe left without contributing to any goals in 39 matches in all competitions.
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