Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi's statement that other clubs should follow the same contractual approach they did with Themba Zwane has seemingly ruffled feathers in the agency space.
After Zwane's contract, which expired at the end of last season, was only extended by one-year, Mngqithi said in a post-match press conference that he believes "it's the right thing to do, to keep him on his toes".
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The coach added he would recommend the same approach to other clubs, to give veteran players short-term deals, so they can remain competitive. He revealed he was against older players getting four-year deals, for example, because they drop their commitment, knowing they have "retirement" packages awaiting them.
KickOff contacted various agents, most of whom did not want their views published, with one particular experienced intermediary coming forth, on condition of anonymity.
"For him to make such statements as a recommendation to other clubs, it's far-fetched. Are you saying if you have a quality player, who is above 30 and we can see his legs can carry him for the next four years, for example, you want to influence a practice that won't do any good for our football?" the agent queried.
"Because, as long as players like Themba Zwane are in the game, it's an encouragement and motivation to these young players to make sure they look after their body, they look after themselves off the pitch, so they can have longer careers.
"How do you reward that longevity? You reward it with a contract that matches the performance as well as the conduct of the football player. But for him to say other teams should follow suit, it's premature.
"You must understand, as much as these players are on the wrong side of 30 years, but they are also bringing quality. The quality of Zwane in the national team is there for everyone to see. The coach [Hugo Broos] admitted himself that he made a mistake [by judging Zwane on his age]," added the agent.
"Once he was given a chance, he proved that his quality was a missing puzzle within the national team. Are you saying experienced, quality players should be pushed out? No.
"There's no such a thing in Europe, because they know the detrimental factor brought by that practice. You would be cutting short the careers of professional players by introducing such practices and suggesting it to other football clubs."
The agent indicated that quality, experienced players get demoralized with short-term deals, as they believe the game is not repaying them back and that mindset accelerates thoughts of retirement, over and above affecting current performance.