Sekhukhune United head coach Lehlohonolo Seema, in a notably jolly and bubbly mood, has revealed his stance on the Sipho Mbule saga amidst reports of disciplinary issues at the club.
At the Nedbank Cup headquarters in Sandton on Thursday, Seema surprised everyone with his upbeat mood. He was practically bouncing, like a kid with a bag of candy, a huge difference from his usual calm and collected self.
With a clear sense of anticipation regarding media enquiries about Mbule, the Sekhukhune coach chose to imbue his opening remarks with the player’s situation. He explained that he expected questions from the media about Mbule, prompting him to start the discussion.
He was speaking ahead of Sekhukhune’s Nedbank Cup quarterfinal encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
As reported by FARPost, Sundowns star Mbule, on loan at Sekhukhune, is having disciplinary issues that could result in the early termination of his loan. Mbule, who joined Babina Noko, seeking game time, has impressed at the club. In 14 matches across all competitions, he has scored two goals and provided two assists.
But he is now under scrutiny for off-field conduct as he allegedly made disparaging remarks about a member of the technical team in front of his teammates, suggesting their tactical advice was ‘outdated.’
In addition, Mbule is accused of breaching team protocols by bringing an unauthorised individual into the team’s camp.
WHAT SEEMA SAID ABOUT SIPHO MBULE
Seema is well aware of the situation involving Mbule, but he refrained from specifying the nature of the issue, neither confirming nor denying reports of disciplinary problems.
He did, however, clarify that Mbule would be unavailable for the upcoming Nedbank Cup quarterfinal against Sundowns, citing the terms of the loan agreement between the two clubs, which prohibits the midfielder from playing against his parent club.
Seema indicated that Sekhukhune will release a statement to provide further clarity on the Mbule situation. He explained that he was unable to offer a comprehensive explanation, implying that the club would provide a more detailed account.
“Before the questions, I’m going to answer before you ask so we can be quicker; there’s no optional time,” said Seema.
“I will first start and say, I’m not going to say anything about the issue of my player, our Sipho Mbule and any questions regarding Sipho. I’m not in a position to answer. Anyway, he was not going to be available for this fixture [versus Sundowns].
“So let’s not bring up his name. What I can only say is that we will await the proper and official statement from the club once everything is settled.
“So please, I know you all like him, but for now, I think I have answered all of you.”
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