Mathoho injury could mean end of his Chiefs spell

That his contract is expiring in June, combined with the reality that he's hardly been used this term, could mean the end of veteran defender Eric "Tower" Mathoho's Kaizer Chiefs stint after suffering yet another long-term injury.

Yesterday, Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane confirmed Mathoho has picked up what looked like a groin injury that's likely to sideline him for a while. The Chiefs coach was sympathetic towards Tower, albeit noncommittal, saying they will deal with the issues pertaining to expiring contracts in due course as their immediate focus was to win the Nedbank Cup and finish second on the standings.

"Just a day before yesterday we lost Tower again, whom we thought was getting close to starting again. I am still waiting for the medical team's report...I will see them after training but one thing for sure Tower isn't going to be available [for Sunday's tie against Golden Arrows at Peter Mokaba Stadium]…he might be out for a long time,'' Zwane said in Naturena yesterday.

"It seems like a groin. When we played a practice match with our reserve team, he pulled his groin and landed awkwardly as well, so he had to be taken off immediately. When I looked at him it worried me and I was frustrated so much because I was looking forward to seeing him back because of his leadership, discipline and commitment."

Khama Billiat is another Chiefs player whose contract is lapsing at the end of the season, having also been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

"As a coach, your job is to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and feels part and parcel of the team. Tower is no exception...just like any other players who got injured that are also worried about their contracts, it's part of the game but the focus right now is to compete,'' Zwane said.

"It's towards the end of the season ...you want to win every game, you want to qualify for the Champions League and win the [Nedbank] Cup, so there's so much going on. Whatever is going to happen going forward with Tower is part of the game and we'll cross that bridge when we get there."