Santos sideline Tawonga
Flames midfielder Tawonga Chimodzi has fallen out of favour at South Africa First Division side Engen Santos following his refusal to extend his contract prematurely.
The player’s father Young Chimodzi confirmed in an interview last week that his son might be on his way out of the Cape Town outfit when his current contract runs its course this June.
“They wanted him to extend the contract before it expired and when he refused, they sidelined him; hence, he has not been playing. Of course, there are one or two teams that are interested in him,” the ex-Flames deputy coach said.
In a response to The Nation’s e-mail, the Santos midfielder insisted that he did not refuse to extend his contract. He said his future with Santos ends next month.
“What I said to my boss when I was approached to sign a new contract was to be given time to think. Maybe until end of the season, that is June, then we can discuss and if he still wanted me at that time, we agree terms and if not, I move on,” said Tawonga.
He refused to link his being sidelined to his refusal to an early contract extension.
“I will be honest with you, I do not like assumptions. The fact is that I train with everybody and always enjoy training, so whether I play or not has not been much of my concern for now, rather am more concerned about how my presence whether in training or off the field can influence the guys to do better,” he said.
The 24-year-old player signed for Santos in 2006 after barely a season with Silver Strikers. He has over 10 caps.
