SA footballer goes missing in Georgia after attending trials

Former Nedbank Cup Ke Yona talent search graduate Thulani Cele has gone missing in Georgia after jetting off to attend trials at one of the clubs.

According to SA FM Sports Show Spot On, Cele left for Georgia on 4 May to attend a two-week trial at FC Gagra organized by an agent known to Cele’s family only as ‘Baggio’. He had met Cele through the Ke Yona talent search.

There are fears that Cele might have been arrested while on his way back to South Africa on 2 June, but there is no explanation from anyone either from Georgia or the South African government, which told the family.

The family is also unable to get hold of Baggio, the agent who arranged the trials.

The players’ father, Bongani Shongwe, told presenter Thabiso Mosia on Monday night that the situation had left them traumatised.

“Three or four hours after he said he was leaving for the airport, someone from Georgia phoned my mom and said your son has been detained here, and he just dropped the phone,” Mr Shongwe explained on the show.

“He never said anything about what happened, why he was arrested, not even a clue. He just only said he had been detained at the airport. We are confused. We are very confused. Most importantly, we are angry. My mom can’t eat, she is always thinking about him, and it is tense here.

“The last time (we heard from him) was on the 2nd of June in the morning. He phoned me and said he was on his way to the airport, then I said cool, we will meet here in South Africa, and we never heard anything from him,” said Shongwe.

“Baggio is quiet, and he is not saying anything (about the situation). He is just quiet because the last time he said he was trying some other players so he just called and said he phoned them and asked to go and check at the airport, police station, that the only thing he said and now we can’t get hold of him.

“We also tried to get someone from the embassy, Mr Brown from the International Relations, and he said he would try and do something; then he said I must email him all details. But he said they don’t have a South African embassy in Georgia. So far, we have nothing, we just have you on the show now (referring to the Radio station), and maybe the national government can intervene.

“We are also begging the government to use any resources they can to find my son, and it’s painful, my brother, it’s painful.”

Cele’s cousin Khanda Manqele told the same show that Thulani had made him aware that the so-called trials were a scam upon arriving in Georgia.

FARPost got in touch with the department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) through their spokesperson Clayson Monyela. They confirmed that the department has been made aware of Cele’s situation and have dispatched their team to get more details and will do their best to assist with the situation.