Kabelo Dambe is yet to receive an offer for a contract extension from Platinum Stars to keep him at the club beyond the 2014/2015 season.
The former Township Rollers stopper’s current contract will elapse at the end of the season. He had previously signed a two year deal with the club in 2013 after impressing the team while on an initial loan deal.
Dambe has earned rave reviews for his displays this season and could attract interest from rival clubs if Stars fail to extend his contract. The player will be free to negotiate with any interested clubs in January as he will be entering the final six months of his contract. Stars are resigned to losing Siyabonga Mpontshane to Orlando Pirates in the January transfer window and experts believe they should react by offering Dambe a new deal to make him first choice goalkeeper.
Mpontshane is expected to accept Pirates’ offer given the club’s ability to lure players with lucrative contracts. Stars will have to make a long term investment and tie Dambe to a new and improved contract as well as offer Kagiso Mlambo an opportunity to become the second choice keeper and provide back up for Dambe. While initial reports have revealed that Platinum Stars has held preliminary talks Dambe with a view to offering him an attractive contract extension, the player insists that nothing concrete has come out from the talks.
Dambe told Gazette Sport that the club is happy with his progress and he has been receiving positive feedback from the technical team about his performances.
“Everything is going well. I have been getting game time and it helped me a lot. I am relaxed and happy. No contract talks have taken place yet but I am only concentrating on doing well for the time being. The coach has been supportive and encouraging. I have also been getting game time at the national team,” said Dambe.
Dambe also said he is encouraged by the coach’s decision to interchange the goalkeeping position.
“Unfortunately, only one of us has to play. The best thing to do is to seize each and every opportunity and work hard to earn my place in the team,” he said.