Embattled attacking midfielder Siyethemba Sithebe has been thrown out of AmaZulu squad for the remainder of the season.
Sithebe, who is said to have held secret talks to join Kaizer Chiefs, is currently stranded after Usuthu boss Sandile Zungu said the midfielder may never wear the Usuthu jersey again.
The 29-year-old was drawn into controversy during the pre-season transfer window, when he was rumoured to have switched sides, but his move to the Glamour Boys was put on ice after a feud erupted between AmaZulu and Kaizer Chiefs.
According to insiders, Sithebe agreed to sign a pre-contract with Amakhosi during the transfer window that would have seen him relocate to the Chiefs Village in Naturena in June.
The revelation led to Zungu hitting hard at Chiefs over what he termed “unprofessional way of making business” because, as he said, Chiefs went after Sithebe without first consulting with AmaZulu. He then threatened to expel the gifted player with immediate effect.
AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy has also been drawn into the conflict after he said he did not plan to field Sithebe when Usuthu lock horns against Horoya FC in the CAF Confederation fixture tonight.
“Sithebe is unavailable for selections. It’s out of my control,” McCarthy told a media briefing on Thursday, saying he will never go against management’s orders.
“I can only select who I have at my disposal and unfortunately I don’t have him [Sithebe] at my disposal. So I can’t field a player that I can’t select.”
He added that Sithebe has gone AWOL since the club returned to training in January. “The players come to train and should be available based on how they train and their work ethic. Sithebe wasn’t available.”
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