The Bees FC head coach, Humphrey Mlwane, has explained why his side decided not to sign ex-Sekhukhune United and Baroka FC midfielder Tshediso Patjie.
Patjie is currently a free agent, after parting ways with Motsepe Foundation Championship Kruger United at the end of the last campaign.
At Kruger, Patjie played over 10 matches in the last term. The Mpumalanga-based outfit finished the season in fifth place in the Motsepe Foundation Championship table. This comes after they collected 45 points from 30 games. They lost their chance to qualify for the PSL Promotional/Relegation Playoffs on the final day of the 2024/25 season.
The 34-year-old, Patjie, trained with the newly promoted PSL side club for a couple of weeks with the hope of securing a deal ahead of the 2025/26 season.
FORMER KAIZER CHIEFS MIDFIELDER HUMPHREY MLWANE REVEALS WHY THE BEES FC DID NOT SIGN TSHEDISO PATJIE
Mlwane, who played for Kaizer Chiefs, explained to this publication that they didn’t sign the experienced midfielder because they needed someone with more energy. His age also played a part, as they didn’t want to bring in too many players over 30.
“You know, in his position [attacking midfield], we really need energy. We needed a player who can make runs behind the defence and give the team energy,” coach Mlwane told FARPost.
“We didn’t want to sign a lot of players who are over 30 or 35 years old. This is because we noticed that this would delay our way of playing. So, we are a team that plays a quick passing game.
“So, we saw that the young players we have within our squad can play in the position that was supposed to be filled by him.”
In his football career, Patjie also represented teams such as Mbombela United and Moroka Swallows.
The 2025/26 Motsepe Foundation Championship season is scheduled to kick off on Friday, 22 August. The Bees will face Baroka FC at Kanyamazane Stadium this coming Sunday.
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