Stellenbosch FC midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa sounded like someone who is not affected by Kaizer Chiefs interest, saying he will accept any decision the club takes but he doesn’t want to get involved in the rumours.
Mthethwa, 28, is said to be a wanted man by Amakhosi, who are understood to have presented an offer to Stellenbosch. But Amakhosi don’t have a lot of time to conclude the deal, with the PSL transfer window shutting on Friday and Stellies unlikely to sell one of their key players without replacement.
But he made it clear that Stellenbosch hold all the cards about his future, as he still has a running contract with the club.
“That, I cannot run away from and everything hinges on clubs,” said Mthethwa when asked about the talks of being linked to Chiefs.
“I will play for Stellenbosch until my contract ends with Stellenbosch.
“If [the] entire country speaks about all the other players and my name is included, then it shows I’m doing something right in the PSL.
“They will always be talks about teams and one will always be linked with other teams and that will not end.
“But I don’t want to dwell on that too much because I don’t represent myself, I have a contract with Stellenbosch and I will continue working hard for Stellenbosch until agreements between two teams are reached.
“That is when the decision will come.”
When pressed, if he would be ready to play for any of the big teams, Mthethwa said he always gives his best.
“Wherever I’m going, I will do my work,” he explained. “I don’t think that is an issue with me.”
The Mthethwa rumours infuriated his coach Steve Barker, who was not pleased that Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki publicly said the former Black Leopards strongman is one of the players they would love to have.
While Mthethwa’s future has grabbed headlines, he has made it clear that he wants to be part of the Bafana Bafana squad for the Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] that is taking place in Ivory Coast next year.
“[There is] no footballer who doesn’t want to be part of the national team,” said Mthethwa.
“All of my performances, I just don’t play for the sake of it. I play football the way I play and that will not change. All the time when I go to the pitch, I give my best.
“If the national team (coach Hugo Broos] saw me or he didn’t, that is up to him.
“But what is clear is that I want to play for the national team at the AFCON. I truly want to play at the AFCON.”
Mthethwa has been recognized as one of the best Defensive Midfielders in South Africa if not the best Midfielder.
Sibongiseni Mthethwa will now have a decision to make since the Premier Soccer League transfer window is about to close on 22 September 2023,and he has now been seen as an asset in the midfield so that he can make a combination with Edson Castillo if not Yusuf Maart who has been doing phenomenal in these recent games.
