Former ECCO defender unhappy with unceremonious dismissal

PINI BOTHOKO
Correspondent | Friday June 15, 2012 00:00

 

Maphane has been with ECCO for three years after the side signed from Boteti Young Fighters in 2009.  His contract was supposed to end next June.  In an interview with Mmegi Sport, Forest revealed that in February he was called for a job interview and duly informed his welfare manager at ECCO, Alfred Monyamane, about it.'He (Monyamane) said if it is a job offer they cannot hold me back. He even said that it was a good move, as he encouraged players to have jobs besides playing football,' he said.

Maphane said merely three weeks into the job, he realised that it would end very soon, and decided to return to the team. 'I trained with the team for a week before the Mascom Top Eight match between ECCO and BMC, then the team management told me to stop training. They also said I should vacate their house with immediate effect because they had already filled my position,' he explained.

Forest said they told him to write them explaining why he was away from training.He did, pleading with them to let him complete his contract.

'They told me that I went away without their consent. I was surprised because before leaving, I consulted the welfare manager,' he said. He related that the team management told him that the day he stopped training and went for the job interview was when he terminated his contract. He was not even paid that month.

Maphane said after his dismissal, he wrote a letter to ECCO management pleading for reinstatement, but there has not been a response from the team.  'In April I phoned Moses Jackson, (the general secretary of the team) and asked him when they intended to pay me my signing-on fee. He said if someone owed you and you keep on asking him it's like you are provoking him,' he said.

Maphane said he thought they would talk to him about the signing-on fee when dismissing him but they did not.'A few weeks ago, I wrote them protesting their decision. I told them that I have consulted my legal representatives about the issue,' he said, 'They have not treated me well.'

ECCO's general secretary, Jackson has confirmed that they have indeed sacked Maphane. While he conceded that there was no written agreement terminating the contract, he argued that by leaving for another job, Maphane terminated his contract.

'When he returned, he found his position already filled. He should try his luck in the next window period. His signing on fee was P15, 000 and we have paid him close to P9, 000. We are currently working on paying him the balance,' he said.