Ngele set to join list of Sundowns casualties

  • Ngele inactive all season with no official games for Sundowns
  • He missed out on a share of R10 million prize money shared among players
  • Each Sundowns player walked away with over R300 000 after Motsepe allowed them to share the prize money

BONGANI MALUNGA

Mogakolodi Ngele is set to join a list of up to six players who will be released or sold by unstoppable South African premier league side Mamelodi Sundowns in the next transfer window. Ngele’s contract with the club is due to end on June 30 after which he will be allowed to leave without the team exercising the option of a one-year renewal clause that was inserted in his contract five years ago.

He will join the likes of Thela Ngobeni, Lucky Mohomi, Bangaly Soumahoro, Cuthbert Malajila and Aubrey Ngoma, all of whom are now deemed surplus to requirements. Ngele and Ngobeni are the only players on the list who did not make a single official appearance for Sundowns in any competition this season.

The Pretoria side is set to offload the players for various reasons, mostly for first team opportunities elsewhere while others have reached the end of their contracts. Ngele will be seeking a new home in the ABSA Premiership where numerous clubs have already contacted him in the last six months.

The worst part about Ngele’s Sundowns ordeal is the fact that he was never told why he was being sidelined but he has also been denied training with the main team and making loan moves from the team in previous transfer windows.

As a result of being frozen out of the team, the Zebras star was not a part of the Sundowns’ title winning ensemble and so missed out on grabbing another league winning medal and a share of the R10 million prize money shared among the players and the technical team.

The prize money was shared by the 26 players and the six technical staff members, with each player and technical team member pocketing approximately R300 000. Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe has continued his tradition of generously allowing the players and the technical team to share the prize money.

But despite his Sundowns woes, Ngele is still a highly rated player in South Africa with the likes of Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits believed to be harbouring hopes of signing him. Gavin Hunt and Milutin Sredojevic have always admired his style of play and they could be among a host of teams ready to sign him on a free transfer next month.