'Mbule good for Chiefs but must change'

Would it be worthwhile for Kaizer Chiefs to sign Sipho Mbule despite his well-known off-field troubles?

After his agent, Mike Makaab, publicly declared he had offered the troublesome playmaker to Chiefs, the club’s ex-midfielder Frank Makua endorsed the possible recruitment, but warned the wayward star will have to change his behaviour. 

Mbule’s off-field misdemeanours are well-documented, with Sekhukhune United the latest club to reject him after Mamelodi Sundowns had dispatched him there on loan.

The 27-year-old midfielder is now clubless after Sundowns opted not to renew his contract, prompting Makaab, in a bizarre social media post, to declare he’s been “offered to Chiefs”.

“I think he has to change his attitude. I mean, he's a good player, he has to move away from the off-the-field things,” Makua, a Chiefs legend of the late 90s, told Sowetan yesterday.

“He can be a good player for Chiefs, but it’s all up to him. He has to be disciplined, know when to drink and when not to. He just needs to take things seriously. His style of play can suit the team as well. I think it will be a wise move to take him. But perhaps they are still trying to decide ... as they don’t want people who will give them a headache.”

Makua hopes Mbule won’t end up like Dumisani Zuma and Masibusane Zongo, whose promising careers were destroyed by off-the-field problems. “Remember they [Chiefs] had a player like Zuma, and he had a similar problem off the field, On the field, he was a good player,” he said.

“They could be scared to take that risk again. But let’s hope they will give him the opportunity now, because if he stays long without a team, it will be a big problem... If he gets a team now before the preseason, he will be ready for the new season.”

Chiefs, meanwhile, are said to be possibly interested in signing defender Thabiso Monyane, who was released by Orlando Pirates last week.

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