Suspended Thuso Phala set for SuperSport departure

SuperSport United chief executive Stan Matthews has confirmed Matsatsantsa won't be retaining winger Thuso Phala when his contract expires at the end of the season, disclosing he's the highest paid player in the club's history.

Phala is out in the cold at SuperSport after being banned from training since December, pending a disciplinary committee (DC) hearing. It is believed that the attacking midfielder had a fallout with the club's coach, Kaitano Tembo.

"Thuso is currently suspended and he will have a DC at some point this week. He has not been training [with the rest of the squad]. his contract is ending at the end of the season anyway. We are not going to be retaining him,'' Matthews told Sowetan.

"In a way, it's the end of Thuso at SuperSport. Obviously, he has got his hearing coming up soon. so I cannot really comment about what transpired. I do not need to justify the club towards Thuso because the club has been very good to Thuso. He's the highest paid player in the history of this football club."

On Thursday, Phala's representatives, QT Sports agency, took to Twitter and gave their version of the story, threatening to spill the beans about what really happened.

"We will deal with this matter by informing the public of the correct turn of events on the Thuso Phala saga each step of the way while exposing the long existing shenanigans that the public may not necessarily know of," read the agency's statement, signed off by their football executive manager, Basia Michaels.

Matthews refused to comment on QT's Twitter post, insisting the club has always been good to Phala.

"I am not going to be chasing to Twitter. we will deal with this matter internally. We are purely looking at this case and once the facts are on the table, you guys [the media] can make the determination as to who has been good to who,'' Matthews asserted.

"There's nobody at SuperSport that has ever earned more. ever, ever! We treated him well and he delivered for us up until his last few games.''

Phala, 32, is said to be on his way to Orlando Pirates.