Former Royal AM head coach Khabo Zondo believes that Samir Nurkovic could have been a significant asset to the team if injuries had given him the opportunity to play.
In July 2023, Royal AM was handed a transfer ban for unlawfully terminating Nurkovic's contract after just three months.
The club is currently serving a transfer ban for owing the Serbian striker R15 million.
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Zondo believes that all of this could have been avoided if proper procedures had been followed before the contract was signed.
"I joined the club around the same time as Nurkovic, but I'm not the one who brought him in," Zondo tells KickOff.
"I only saw him for the first time when the club introduced us to the media.
"His signing was positive in that he is an experienced player and a proven goalscorer.
"However, we discovered too late that he had injuries, which could have been addressed with more thorough checks before signing him. This oversight is what ultimately caused the problem.
"It seems that Nurkovic possibly arrived with an injury. It's crucial to examine these factors when signing players, especially those who come with a hefty price tag.
"As a result, we couldn't play Nurkovic because he was not fully fit; he had to spend time recovering from his injury.
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"The danger was that the contract was already signed by the time we learned about his condition.
"He would have been a major asset if not for the injury. Some of our players would have adjusted to his style, and he would have adapted as well.
"He could have added a different dimension to our play."