‘RIO’ OWES US, WILL BE CHARGED – BULL’S ALLY

MBABANE – It’s a face-off.

Capital city giants Mbabane Highlanders find themselves in yet another wrangle with their ‘Prodigal Son’ midfielder, Lindani ‘Rio’ Matsenjwa. The 22-year-old gifted midfielder has not seen much action this season, but had continued to make newspaper headlines for all the wrong reasons including apologising to his club and earning another chance after shunning their activities for some time without official leave late last year. The situation has not been any better despite the midfielder making a cameo appearance against Tambuti recently. Matsenjwa has also not been paid his salary for last month, but he alleged in one publication that it it had been three months and he had reported the matter and club to the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) for consideration by the EFA Player’s Status Committee.

acknowledge

“We must acknowledge firstly that the EFA called us yesterday and invited us for the matter concerning Rio this week. He has gone to the Status Committee but we’ll bring our evidence that he absconded work for three months, was loaned E20 000 after a car accident he had and refused to play against a certain team which we also alerted about it. “If anything, Rio owes us money for the loan. He also did not work for three months as he was away in South Africa and took his time to return to the team but even then, I was giving him money while deductions of around E2 000 and sometimes E3 000 were effected on his E7 500 salary. He had wanted us to deduct E5 000 monthly but he wouldn’t survive that way so we only did that once,” claimed a disappointed Highlanders Managing Director Chief Ally Kgomongwe.

hurt

Kgomongwe said it hurt him that what was happening with the player was his own doing. “My lawyer Mandla and Space have told me to my face that I had spoilt Rio because each time he had to be charged, I protected him thinking he would realise his mistakes and correct them. Now Mandla and Space will charge him so after the Status Committee case, he is coming to face a Disciplinary Committee (DC) in the club for his conduct,” explained Kgomongwe. He also said that it was true that the player had not been paid his salary last month but that was not an issue. “Once the manager and coach confirm the number of days, he was not around, then we’ll know how much to pay him and we’ll also know how much of the loan is remaining. We’ll definitely sort him out anytime this week but it’ll be with deductions,” he explained.

loaning

Kgomongwe further said they were looking at loaning him out to Manzini Wanderers but will wait for the Status Committee. “He also received our notification to charge him,” added Kgomongwe. Rio has filed for breach of contract and wants to be released, declared a free agent and handed his clearance certificate. Rio was asked about his EFA Status Committee matter last Friday after he was spotted leaving the Sigwaca House but denied he was there to report his club but to sort a personal matter about his registration. When reached again yesterday, the player did not respond.

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