Motsepe Foundation Championship Players’ Player of the Season nominee Banele Hlophe has made shocking revelations ahead of the 2025/26 PSL season.
Hlophe was a key player for JDR Stars, who have sold their status to businessman Lister Makatoane, taking over from Nnditsheni Nemasisi. The team is set to be renamed Leicesterford City FC, pending PSL approval.
The 24-year-old, Hlophe, made 29 appearances across all competitions for JDR and contributed six goals last campaign.
His satisfying display earned him a nomination in this year’s PSL awards [Motsepe Foundation Championship Players’ Player of the Season]. Hlophe is nominated alongside Muzomuhle Khanyi of Hungry Lions, and Joslin Kamatuka from Durban City FC.
The PSL awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, 29 July 2025, at 19:00. It will be broadcast live on the SuperSport PSL Channel and SABC Sport.
WHAT ARE THE REVELATIONS MADE BY BANELE HLOPHE
The talented midfielder has revealed that he’s not okay emotionally because his team doesn’t want to release him to join a Betway Premiership club.
This comes after the player attracted interest from several Betway Premiership clubs. The teams that have shown a desire to acquire the services of the player are Magesi FC, Chippa United, Orbit College FC, and Richards Bay FC.
The player feels that the team is standing in the way of his move to greener pastures, as they have noticed that he has attracted a lot of interest from the SA elite league teams.
However, the player admitted that he still has one more season with the club but demands to be released, as he feels that the team did not honour their side of the contract.
“If I could say I’m okay, I would be lying. I’m going through a lot, but this too shall pass. I’m going to be okay. However, what stresses me is that it is almost a similar situation to last season. I’m having flashbacks, and I’m worried and asking myself if I will be playing in the NFD again,” Hlophe told Lokuhle FM.
“There are teams that were interested in my services from the top-flight last season, but the problem is that I do not understand what’s happening because I should have signed a Betway Premiership contract a long time ago. I think there were four teams in the Betway Premiership that showed interest and seven teams from the NFD. However, I told the teams in the NFD to wait a bit because I would love to play in the top division.
“Football can sometimes be cruel, if I may put it that way. The PSL clubs have already started their pre-season about three weeks ago. On the other hand, I’m still at home, trying to resolve my issues with my current club.
‘I WISH I COULD BE RELEASED’, SAYS BANELE HLOPHE
“I’m still contracted with the team I play for. I have one more season with them. But I feel like the team has not honoured their side of the contract. I wish I could be released based on that because they didn’t honour their side of the contract. However, now that they can see that teams are interested in me, they are standing in my way.”
He added: “I feel there are people who are trying to make my life very difficult. I have noticed that when you’re a good player, your life is not going to be easy. I don’t understand why this is always the case. If you could check, most of my peers have already made it. They are playing in the Betway Premiership. There’s nothing that pains me more than hearing them ask me, ‘Why aren’t you playing in the top flight?’. But people don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes.
“I don’t know if I’m taking things too emotionally or not. But I have made a decision that if I’m not playing in the Betway Premiership this season, I would rather stay at home for the next 10 months. I mean, there’s no way I can go back and play where my heart is not. But if they had honoured their side of the contract, I would have decided to go back.”
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