Baroka FC chairman Khurishi Mphahlele has come out guns blazing in slamming the manner in which Chippa United are seemingly not co-operating with them on the sticky contractual issue of Boy Madingwane.
In no uncertain terms, Mphahlele has put the blame squarely at the door of the player's representative for ill-advising the Chilli Boys on the matter.
He says Madingwane jumped the gun when he signed for the Betway Premiership side, forgetting that the one-year option on his contract with Baroka was exercised.
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The tough-talking Mphahlele says Chippa don't have a case as the Premier Soccer League has already ruled in the Limpopo outfit's favour.
"They can't have the boy for free, we are not Chippa United's development side," Mphahlele charges, speaking exclusively to KickOff.
"If they want him, then they must come. We will talk business. They must make an offer. They are the ones who want him, we are not looking to sell that boy. So, if they want him, they must put the offer on my table.
"You know these lawyers and these managers, they always misguide these boys. Like now, they are accusing us of having forged the boy's signature. How can we forge the signature of a 21-year-old boy? How can I do that?
"There's an original and a copy of his contract with this boy. Last time, they were claiming that there was no option. We proved to them that there was an option, and now they are saying he didn't sign," he continues.
Mphahlele says they proved to the player and his representatives that he had signed a contract with an option, after which they then changed tack, saying the signature of the player had been forged.
"They are always dilly-dallying. They come up with a new story all the time. The option that the club had on the boy was activated in May. We've got proof, and we've got a letter from the PSL that confirms we had an option.
"But some lawyer sitting in the office thinks he can come to our football and just change the rules.
"I wrote [Siviwe] 'Chippa' Mpengesi a letter, clarifying to him that this boy [has] got an option with us, which he has exercised for another year. I told him in the letter that: 'If you are interested, come, we will talk, my friend'. He never answered my letter.
"Chippa must pay or otherwise they must leave the boy with us. We are already from the PSL - there's no more hearing - and they ruled in our favor," explains Mphahlele.
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The Bakgaga boss says important to note is that the PSL is protecting the rules, not teams.
"Their job is to protect the integrity of the League. All teams are equal in front of the PSL, no matter which division you are playing in. We are all professional."
September, recently appointed assistant to Kwanele Kopo after the two were co-coaches in the second half of the season at Chippa, says it would hurt them to lose Madingwane.
"Those are the office stuff. We wait to hear what the findings are. So, if he is with us, he is with us, and if he is a Baroka player, he will have to go back to Baroka.
"Of course, we will be disappointed to lose him, we had a good pre-season with him, but we will see."