PLATINUM Stars could be getting ready to drop veteran players Vuyo Mere, Tintswalo Tshabalala and Solomon Mathe at the end of season.
Dikwena have yet to renew the players’ contracts, which expire at the end of the current season, meaning Mere, Tshabalala and Mathe would be free to negotiate new deals with the club of their choice.
SunSport has reliably learnt that Dikwena are running on empty and cannot meet the players’ high salary demands, as the Rustenburg-based club is said to be in dire financial straits.
Said the source: “The three players haven’t been offered new contracts because the club cannot afford their salaries. The clubs want to off-load players on a high salary scale to ease the strain on their budget.”
However, Dikwena’s general manager, Senzo Mazingisa, told SunSport they had decided to take a different route, and were investing more in youth.
This means Mere (32), Tshabalala (34) and Mathe (36) will need to double their efforts to convince coach Cavin Johnson that they still have what it takes to prolong their stay in Rustenburg.
Said Mazingisa: “The three are special cases because they are the most senior in the team. They face stiff competition and pressure from youngsters. We will start talking to them in April to resolve the matter.”
Mazingisa insisted that their salaries were not a factor in contract renewal.
He said: “We don’t have a problem with our budget. We want to work with what we’ve got until we find the best way to deal with this issue. We are committed to finding a long term solution to ensure the club is successful, instead of going season by season.”
Mere joined Stars in 2011 following a loan stint with Moroka Swallows from Mamelodi Sundowns, where he had a long spell which started in 2004.
Tshabalala joined Dikwena from Black Leopards ahead of the 2012-13 season and immediately made an impact to become a regular.
The well-travelled Mathe made his professional debut with Stars in the 2004-05 season and then joined Soweto giants Orlando Pirates the following season. He struggled to obtain a regular place in the star-studded Bucs side and left them for Bloemfontein Celtic in 2008-09. He returned to Stars in 2011 for a second spell via National First Division side Thanda Royal Zulu.
