Polokwane City FC head coach Willy Moloto has set the record straight regarding the absence of star defender Thabang Matuludi, firmly refuting suggestions that the player is being sidelined because he is pushing for a move away from the club.
As previously reported by FARPost, the Bafana Bafana right-back has drawn strong interest from local giants Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as several clubs abroad. Despite the intense speculation, the Betway Premiership outfit maintains that the 27-year-old remains central to their plans for the current season.
Matuludi is yet to feature for ‘Rise and Shine’ this term. He missed the season opener through suspension before being left out of the matchday squads during the 3-2 defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns and the thrilling 3-3 draw with Stellenbosch FC.
WILLY MOLOTO ADDRESSES THABANG MATULUDI SITUATION
Addressing speculation over whether Matuludi had expressed a desire to leave, Moloto dismissed the rumours as unfounded chatter.
“There’s no such thing. Every time people don’t see a player, they start with the talk,” Moloto said.
“Remember, Matuludi was also with Bafana Bafana [at the 2026 FIFA World Cup], and he picked up some knocks in training. The team has also been doing well, so sometimes there is no need to change. If it’s not broken, why fix it? He will get his chance—there are a lot of games.
“Let’s give the youngster [Surprise Manthosi] a chance. He did well even though he had some mistakes in the first half [in the league tie against Stellies on Tuesday]. But he managed to equalise for us and stabilised things at the back.”
‘IT’S ABOUT CONTINUITY AND BUILDING DEPTH’
Moloto emphasised that squad development and squad depth are driving the selection decisions, rather than off-field friction.
“The aim is also to introduce new players because if we keep relying solely on Thabang, who are we going to use when he’s unavailable tomorrow?” Moloto added.
“It’s not strictly about rotation. Remember the first game Matuludi was suspended. When he came back, we had just secured a win, and you cannot easily change a winning team. If you look at how we played against Sundowns, we did well. I want to maintain continuity in the team. Who knows, I might use him over the weekend.”
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