A former Bloemfontein Celtic striker has found himself the central figure in explosive allegations made by Kruger United, in which he is said to have pulled out a knife on his coach.
The name Roggert Nyundu will be familiar to most South African football fans, as he counts Polokwane City, Black Leopards and AmaZulu FC among the list of clubs he played for. Currently, he is on the books of ABC Motsepe League side Phezulu FC from Secunda.
The player has informed this publication of how he feels hard done by Kruger United after helping them win promotion to the second tier.
"There's a team back home that I promoted to the NFD, Kruger United. I did my part, I contributed a lot, and I was the captain last season from Vodacom [ABC Motsepe League], and I scored 16 goals," Nyundu says, speaking to KickOff on Monday.
"We went to the play-offs, we got promoted, we were promised money, we never received that money. There were players that were chased away without being paid, and that was painful.
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"So now, because the team is not doing well, they thought to themselves: 'Let's bring back 'Madala Tsotsi',' and I said no.
"No matter how much I may struggle, I will never go back to to Kruger because I'm not a teabag. My experience speaks for itself, I respect my profile, so I'm not gonna be played by people like Kruger as if I'm still a youngster. That one, I won't tolerate.
"The tears of those boys they chased away without even paying them salaries, and the bonuses we never received after the win in Upington... I feel used. I feel like I'm not respected," adds a visibly hurt Nyundu.
The striker says his mission was to score goals for the Mpumalanga-based outfit and help them finish in third place, but that has all now gone up in smoke following his unsavoury departure.
"As for now, I'm focused on my new home, which is Phezulu, and I don't want anything to disturb me. Kruger chased all their players, and only seven remained. We were about 28 or 29."
In the true spirit of Fair Play, KickOff contacted Kruger United chairman Bongani Wati, who said Nyundu was being economical with the truth.
"It's sad that in our first season, second game, there's such allegations," Wati says.
"What happened is that the team was called back for pre-season, and Nyundu was part of the people that were called back, but he didn't come back. He came back a week later. His explanation to me was that there was a funeral in his family, but I told him to speak to the coaches about that because I don't know which player was called back and who wasn't.
"But Nyundu didn't do that, he didn't call the coaches to explain his situation. A week later, he comes to training, and the coach, Vusi Mkhatshwa, tells him: 'I'm busy with the session, so please stay outside, and I will talk to you after this'.
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"Guess what Nyundu did? He pulls a knife on the coach, and then he threatens the coach that if he doesn't play for Kruger, the coach will also not coach Kruger," continues Wati.
The club boss adds that this was not the first time Nyundu had acted in such a violent manner at the club.
"We once played a game in the ABC Motsepe League, and in that game, he was not playing, and there were some allegations regarding his ID. After the game, he was drinking. he went into the pitch fighting everyone, and when the team manager called him into order and guided him to the dressing room, he pulled a knife on the manager.
"After the recent allegations, I called him into my office so we could talk, but he did not come. Again, when we were playing in Kimberley, I called him to come and see me, but Nyundu did not come to me.
"Before the play-offs, I told him he was now old, but I believe he can still give us a season, and that when the SAFA D Licence intake starts, I want him to be part of it so that he can continue being part of the team. That is my commitment to Nyundu.
"But this man does not want to speak to anyone. I don't know why that is, maybe it's because he's been working for my business partner's firm. So, he felt that he does not answer to anyone and only to him. But I told him that my partner and I co-own the team together, we are partners. But I'm the one running the team.
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"As for the bonus issues, I told him to come to me as we need to have discussions. But when you don't come, how are we going to have discussions? It's impossible."