Ditirwa told Mmegi Sport that it was not true that Prisons XI refused to clear Niyonzima to join the Cape Town-based side. We never stopped Khalid from joining any team and we have no intention of doing so. And this does not only apply to him but all our players. We have released players to join other teams in the past and I dont understand why we should do it with Khalid, Ditirwa said. The strongly built Burundian recently told Mmegi Sport that he had forgiven the team for having blocked his move and that he was now committed to Prisons XI cause.
Ditirwa noted that Niyonzima went for trials without the consent of Prisons XI, which is against FIFA statutes. We alerted Rangers that they could not have our player without our consent and they responded that they have been made to understand that he (Niyonzima) was a free agent, thus they decided to negotiate with him. Apparently, they were misled by one of these bogus agents based in South Africa but they understood and pulled out, he said.
Ditirwa also blamed former Township Rollers coach and Niyonzimas countryman Ramadan Riwamdzuri who lured the goalkeeper to Cape Town, saying he should have followed the right procedures if he wished to recruit the player.
For your information, Khalid came here with two other players from Burundi, one of them is now playing in Belgium. Why should we stop him from joining a team of his choice if we did not stop other players from doing the same? He has been our loyal servant and we would be very happy if he gets another team, especially where he would make more money, he said.
Although Prisons XI are determined to keep all their players after relegating to the Med Rescue First Division, Ditirwa hinted that they would be willing to release whoever wants to leave. Ditirwa was also optimistic that his team will bounce back after only one season in the lower division. Ditirwa said since most of their players were employees of the Prisons and Rehabilitation Department, they were sure to keep them.
He also noted that the players were now starting to understand Stanley Mwaangas technical philosophy and would be a better team in the next season. However, he said that it was too early to say whether they would need to beef up the team, saying the technical team was still to assess and give management its recommendations.
