Over My Dead Body - GU Tell Disgruntled Players
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Monday May 28, 2018 12:11
The decision followed several weeks of a standoff between the players and the club over unpaid salaries. The players were part of a group that refused to travel to Lobatse a fortnight ago for their match against Police XI. The match was eventually stopped and cancelled after GU failed to bring sufficient number of players that day. They brought only eight players and two suffered injuries leaving only six on the pitch. The match officials then called off the encounter. After informing the club about their termination of contracts, GU convened an emergency meeting last week, but decided that they will review the purported termination after their last match of the season.
The club has since stated that it does not recognise the players’ decision. “We don’t recognise their purported termination because it is not only unlawful, but also procedurally incorrect, therefore we will not release any player. Remember that there are financial implications in contracts, just as the players demand wages, the club is equally expectant in their investment, in cases of termination,” the club’s general manager, Olebile Sikwane said yesterday.
He stated that some of the players have been with the club for a long time and the club has invested a lot in them. “A player like Phoko has been part of the system since he was a little boy, a huge financial investment was put in. Teenage (Orebonye) is only five months into his new contract. He was paid probably the biggest sign on fee in our league. Now I must release him for free?” he said.
Meanwhile, Sikwane also said the position of the head coach will be settled in two weeks. GU played their last few games without a full time head coach following the departure of Rodolfo Zapata to Kenya.