Former Cape Town City midfielder Ayanda Patosi has sparked the ire of his coach at Foolad FC after reportedly refusing to join the Iranian club's pre-season camp.
Patosi, who the club claims signed a contract extension, has been accused by Javad Nekounam of making "childish excuses" in order not to join the rest of his team ahead of the start of the 2022/23 season.
"Everyone knows that I speak clearly and without veils," Nekounam told the club's website on the weekend about the 29-year-old and teammate Moussa Coulibaly.
"We had a meeting with the manager of the programme about these two players and even I returned from a trip to have a meeting in Tehran with members of the board of directors, but we worked for two to three weeks without a schedule for each player.
"The whole plan and excuse from these two players was that they don't want to be in our fitness camps, while it is very important for me that they are. Patosi has signed a contract with us, but then he did not come to the camp with various childish excuses.
"These events happen while team order is more important to me than anything else. Koulibaly also arrived late, and the behaviour of these two players is completely unprofessional.
"I am unhappy with them, and if necessary, I will remove them because order in my team is the first and last word. They disrespected the Foolad club and if they are in the team, they will be considered for serious punishment."
