A disturbing scenario of a young South African football player stranded and languishing in an east European jail in Georgia has been unfolding for weeks on end, with no outcome in sight.
And it is the twists and turns in the plight of Thulani Cele, who first went missing while on trials and then resurfaced as a prisoner for “stealing a cellphone” in June, that has everyone enraged.
Cele, 22, a graduate of the Nedbank Cup Ke Yona team, was snapped up by AmaZulu from the talent search team, after which an “agent” organised trials for him at Georgia’s first division side FC Gagra.
Since his disappearance, many in the football fraternity have questioned the role of talent scouts and agents in the misfortunes of Cele, who suspected and complained that his trials at Gagra FC were a sham as his hotel had not been paid for weeks and he had no
money for food.
What is of great concern to his parents and family is they are not getting any convincing answers from the very people who took their child to Georgia, promising him heaven and earth.
The family trusted the man or men who sent Cele abroad with a promise of a bright future in football and making him famous and wealthy if the contract went ahead without hurdles.
The main protagonist Collen “Baggio” Mashawa, an agent attached to the Ke Yona talent search programme, and the Cele family, are at loggerheads as the parents point a finger at him for the shambles following Cele’s mysterious arrest.
Mashawa organised Cele’s trip and the family had to pay for the travelling costs.
The agent was also supposed to book accommodation and then hand the youngster over to his connection in Georgia. Bizarrely, Mashawa didn’t travel with Cele to a foreign country, where English is not even a third language. Why?
Mashawa must bear full responsibility for this rigmarole, should anything sinister happen to Cele.
But not all has gone pear-shaped over the years for under-fire Mashawa. Some of the Ke Yona players he has sent abroad have had successful deals. For instance, former Ke Yona team captain Ian Chikohwa currently plays for FC Gareji Sagarejo in the Georgian premier league.
Cele was unfortunate. From the first week he reportedly complained that his trials at Gagra FC were a scam.
We don’t know the truth.
It is now up to the department of international relations and cooperation to make arrangements to bring the young South African back home following appeals from Cele’s family for government intervention.
The moral of the story is for parents to do their homework and research.
There are “bogus deals” out there. Beware, and why the payments?
In the midst of this mess, Mashawa contends he is not getting a cent from sending players abroad, and does it for the love of the game.
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