Moroka Swallows coach Musa Nyatama, fellow technical team members and some players have been left out in the cold after the club was sold.
The future is looking bleak for them, especially after the new owner and Marumo Gallants boss Abram Sello unveiled Dylan Kerr as the new coach for next season.
New owners are compelled to take players, coaches and staff members who were contracted to the previous owners/club.
Players with existing Swallows contracts will either join the PSL squad or remain with the first division franchise of Gallants.
Insiders have revealed that Sello has found a buyer for the first division status but the deal has not been concluded yet.
Nyatama has mentioned to Sunday World that he still has a contract with Swallows. The former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns midfield workhorse says that the new owners have been quiet and have not spoken to him yet regarding his contract and future at the club.
“They have not said anything since the sale was confirmed. Everyone is quiet and we are not sure what is happening. I still have another year on my contract with Swallows. We will have to wait and see what happens next and if they contact us,” said Nyatama.
Asked if they have contacted the SA Football Players’ Union (Safpu), Nyatama said they had not done that yet and were just biding their time for now.
It is now clear that Nyatama and the other players are not in the plans of the new owners who have taken other Swallows players and staffers as part of their squad for next season.
The new team, which will play home matches in Bloemfontein, will use most of the Gallants players who participated in the Motsepe Foundation Championship last season.
Nyatama did an impressive job when he saved the Dube Birds from relegation after he took over the reins from Steve Komphela, who left the club to join Golden Arrows.
With the Dube Birds flirting with relegation, Nyatama changed the dire situation, which resulted in the club flying away to safety and retaining their DStv Premiership standing.
A well-placed official has revealed that Swallows boss David Mogashoa only sold the status and the licence to play in the DStv Premiership – but not the name of the club.
“According to the conditions of the sale, all the obligations due by the previous owners, whether it is players, the technical team or service providers are transferred to the new owners.
The name of the club has remained with Mogashoa, just like the name of Bloemfontein Celtic remained with Max Tshabalala when he sold the status to Shauwn Mkhize at the time she bought the club,” he told Sunday World.
Gallants will announce the new squad and Kerr’s finalised technical team when all signings are concluded.
The players’ union was not available to shed more light on the matter
