BLACK Leopards striker Lifa Hlongwane wants out.
In fact, the 26-year-old has vowed never to play for Lidoda Duvha again, as long as Luc Eymael is still in charge.
A fed up Hlongwane said he instructed Eymael to loan him out in January in order to get more regular game time, elsewhere.
The Tembisa-born player, who had been a regular under former coach Lionel Soccoia, has played only once since Eymael took the hot seat in September.
What frustrates Hlongwane the most is that the Belgian mentor has never bothered to explain to him, why is he not playing him.
“I can’t play and I don’t know why?” said the gatvol player.
“The first game (Eymael was in charge) I played and had an assist, we won the match. The next game I didn’t play, and the coach didn’t explain his reasons for dropping me. I have never played since then. I told him that I want a loan move and he said I have a bad attitude. I looked at him straight in the eyes and said ‘it’s clear you don’t like me’.”
Hlongwane, who has a year left on his contract, says joining another team will revive his love for the game.
“I want to leave with all my heart,” he emphasised in an interview with SunSport.
“I will fight for a loan move to happen. I don’t mind playing in the NFD (GladAfrica Championship), as long as I’m not under Eymael. It’s not all about money.
“I enjoyed myself at Leopards, but now when I go to training I feel like a baby being forced to go to creche. I always drag myself there because it’s work. The chairman (David Thidiela) wants me to stay, but it’s clear the coach doesn’t want me. I will gladly come back when Eymael is not there.”
However, the former Umlilo FC player insists that he is not scared of stiff competition to impress Eymael.
He added: “I don’t hate competition, but you need to play on merit. He doesn’t give me confidence and my career doesn’t deserve to end like this.”
Meanwhile, Hlongwane has denied claims that he has gone absent without official leave (AWOL).
“I didn’t attend training for two days last week (Tuesday and Wednesday) because I was sick. I have recovered.”
When asked for comment, Eymael said he will not stand in Hlongwane’s way.
“I told him I am not responsible,” said the Belgian coach.
“If he wants to leave, he should ask the chairman. But it’s not that I don’t like him, he sent me a WhatsApp message that he was injured before we played Chippa United, and last week (prior to the Golden Arrows game) he was also injured.
“I asked the doctors to assess him. “I am trying to get results and it’s not that I don’t like him.”
