Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Surplus to requirements!

This is what we normally hear from clubs when teams offload their players.

These are the players the technical team, including the management, regard as dead wood.

Why the management? It has been a norm with owners of some PSL and NFD clubs to sign and release players without the consent of their technical staff.

These are their teams and there is nothing the poor coaches can do. The owners have invested a lot of money in their teams and make decisions that are best for the team, they always tell us.

So if a player viewed as dead wood is loaned out elsewhere why should he not play against his former club? Maybe Mamelodi Sundowns can answer this question better.

The Brazilians have been practising this weird arrangement for some time and it boggles the mind of many a football fan.

When Downs thrashed Maritzburg United 3-0 in Chatsworth on February 4, the Team of Choice were without Elias Ngwepe and Fanyana Dhladla because of this arrangement.

My gripe is why do clubs loan out players that are insignificant in the team? Why are Downs preventing these players from playing against them? If these players were loaned out because they were not adding value, why are they afraid of playing against them?

While Chiefs once refused African Wanderers the right to field on-loan Zebulon Nhlapo against them during the NPSL era, I have been impressed with the way they have been handling their players' movements in the Premiership.

They did not come up with a clause that would have prevented Gert Schalkwyk from playing against them for Celtic, where he is on loan until the end of the season.

Clubs must refrain from loaning out players because chances are they could still be frustrated when they return.