Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka has welcomed defender Thato Sibiya in camp moments before departing for Chile, after his contractual situation with Mamelodi Sundowns was resolved.
Amajita are currently en route to Chile for their U20 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for Saturday.
Sibiya was one of the notable absentees during Amajita’s send-off celebration on Monday, hosted by sponsors Honor, which is one of the leading smartphone and technology brands.
According to sources close to the situation, Sundowns allegedly gave Sibiya an ultimatum that if he does not sign a contract with the club, he will not go to Chile with Amajita.
En route to Chile
The Masandawana team manager, Thami Khuzwayo, was present at the Amajita send-off celebration. It is thought that he was there to talk about and settle the Sibiya issue.
“There are certain matters that, honestly, we would prefer not to discuss, particularly regarding the treatment we receive from other teams. Honestly, even now, we’re not sure whether we’re going with him tomorrow [on Tuesday] or not,” Mdaka said on Monday.
“The challenge is that once you register under FIFA, deregistering and replacing a player must be based on medical results from doctors and other requirements.
“They requested the list to be submitted by a specific date. We submitted the required documents by the due date.
“So, these are some legal challenges that we’re faced with, but we’re crossing our fingers to say we’ll have 21 [players] by Tuesday.”
With Sibiya now on the plane to Chile, the team was scheduled to leave at 11am on Tuesday.
FIFA regulations
Mdaka said the replacement of Sibiya would have been a difficult exercise due to FIFA regulations.
“The replacement process is a grave problem. If the replacement involves a team, that team is often reluctant to release a player.
“What should be done in terms of FIFA is to say, the team should write a letter, then you take that as evidence and submit it to FIFA.
“We have a pool of about 85 players that we’ve submitted for replacement, provided it aligns with their regulations regarding injuries and other factors.
“So, we’re adept at replacing any other player, provided it qualifies for what FIFA wants,” Mdaka added.
AMajita have been drawn in Group E and will begin their matches against France on Monday, followed by a game against debutants New Caledonia on October 2, and conclude with a match against the US on October 5.
