Jele Left In Limbo At Royal AM

Veteran defender Happy Jele has been left in limbo at Royal AM as he was not part of the players that returned for pre-season on Monday.

Jele’s contract expired at the end of June, having joined the club in the January transfer window.

As Royal AM returned to the pre-season on Monday, the former Orlando Pirates skipper was nowhere to be seen at the club, as per iDiski Times sources.  

“Happy Jele is left in limbo and the club is blue ticking his messages as they are not telling him what is happening,” a source told iDiski Times.

Jele, when he joined Royal AM, had not played football for the entire first round of the season after leaving Pirates at the end of last term.

The 36-year-old was supposed to have joined Royal AM ahead of 2022/23, but talks dragged on for some time before the deal was sewn up in the January transfer window.

But MaMkhize’s interest and intentions in the former Pirates captain were evident, and she even informed her team that no one should wear jersey number 4 because it was reserved for Jele, who wore this number throughout his life at Pirates.

Jele, who won everything locally, including two league titles, featured in four matches, three in the league where Royal AM did not lose, including the 1-1 draw against Pirates earlier this month.

His only loss came when Royal AM were defeated by Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals, in a game when Jele picked up an early injury, resulting in him being taken off after 20 minutes.

Royal AM has already parted ways with Ricardo Nascimento, Lantshane Phalane and Tsepo Rikhotso, with the latter set to join Sekhukhune United in the new season, as reported by iDiski Times.  

Royal AM finished 11th in the DStv Premiership table last term under the returnee coach John Maduka.