BLACK Leopards spokesman Berry Ramunenyiwa has come out guns blazing against mounting rumours they will lose key players before the current season resumes.
Reports have been making rounds that Leopards could be thinner in personnel when the season resumes as majority of their key players are yet to renew contracts.
The season is currently on hold indefinitely due to the coronavirus lockdown, but Ramunenyiwa believes all their current players would still be with the club when the season continues.
“We don’t understand where people are getting all these wrong stories about players’ contracts,” said Ramunenyiwa.
“All we know is that everything, including contracts negotiations, have been stopped because of the Covid-19 crisis. President Cyril Ramaphosa has made it clear that everything should stop. How can we continue with negotiations while other teams have stopped?
“We are in a lockdown and the players are at home, and we cannot continue with negotiations.”
He further responded to SunSport’s information about Pentjie Zulu and Joseph Mhlongo, who are also rumoured to be on their way out.
“We don’t know about Zulu and Mhlongo’s negotiations not going well,” he said.
“Fifa has also told everyone in football to stop everything and focus on this worldwide coronavirus crisis. So people need to stop creating stories which destabilises the team. “We are following the Ramaphosa and Fifa rules on coronavirus. Our players are very far at home and we cannot sit down with them and talk about contracts.”
They have already lost midfielders Thuso Phala and Karabo Tshepe.
Zulu and Mhlongo have apparently declined to renew contracts which are due expire in two months’ time.
Leopards have been negotiating with defender Zulu and striker Mhlongo with the hope of extending their respective deals.
But Zulu and Mhlongo have already set their sights on new challenges next season. It’s apparent there are PSL teams eyeing the duo with interest.
“They (Zulu and Mhlongo) are leaving. The (club) management are aware of it,” said our inside source.
The 30-year-old Zulu has been linked with a move to Gavin Hunt’s Bidvest Wits or Steve Komphela’s Golden Arrows.
Mhlongo (29) has been rumoured to be headed to Highlands Park or Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs.
But nothing can be finalised until the Premiership resumes. The PSL, like most leagues around the world, is suspended due to the outbreak of coronavirus. There is no date when football will return.
Attacking midfield star, Lesedi Kapinga, is also understood to be weighing up options whether to stay or not.
Kapinga’s contract with Leopards also ends in June.
With the relegation axe hovering Leopards’ head, many players are eager to jump ship instead of playing in the GladAfrica Championship next season.
