Covid-19 may force GladAfrica side TTM to sell

07 May 2020 - 10:18
By Neville Khoza
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC during the NFD Promotion/Relegation Play-off match between Royal Eagles. The team face an uncertain future due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Image: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC during the NFD Promotion/Relegation Play-off match between Royal Eagles. The team face an uncertain future due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For-sale signs could be up at first division side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The GladAfrica Championship side's financial woes have been worsening and it is said they have just about managed to pay April salaries but could struggle at the end of this month.

"The effect of Covid-19 is that teams are selling their status... one of them is TTM. They are struggling financially and they are not sure how they will pay the players [at] month-end," a source close to the club told Sowetan.

"Also, a lot of teams in the ABC Motsepe League are planning to sell as well."

TTM, Real Kings, Cape Umoya United, Royal Eagles, and Steenberg United are some NFD clubs who have struggled to pay players full salaries of late.

Tshidino Ndou, TTM's communications and marketing manager, was noncommittal when asked if the owners would sell.

"I don't know of any plans to sell the club," said Ndou.

Ndou did, however, confirm that the club will struggle to pay full salaries for May.

"The latest is, we are talking to the players. We have not reached any solution regarding the salary cuts. Of course, Covid-19 affected all the teams.

The chairman [Lawrence Mulaudzi] is a businessman and his businesses were affected.

he grant that we are receiving from the PSL was never enough, so he always tops up from his pocket.

"Now that his businesses were affected by Covid-19, we have to negotiate with the players and come up with the best solution."