Royal AM boss Shauwn Mkhize says veteran defender Happy Jele is still part of her club despite the player not forming part of the team at the moment.
Jele was signed in the January transfer window after leaving Orlando Pirates at the end of the 2021/22 season.
The 36-year-old was initially supposed to sign at the beginning of last season but talks went back and forth, leading the former Pirates skipper to spend his time training on his own in the first six months of 2022/23.
MaMkhize, to show her intention that she wanted the defender, told the technical team and players that no one should wear jersey number 4 because it was located for Jele.
He was eventually signed in January this year and Jele took the number, playing four matches in all competitions
He couldn’t play the first two matches though as he was carrying a suspension from his last game with Pirates in the 2021/22 season, but after Jele served those games, he featured in four matches, including a 1-1 draw with his former club at Orlando Stadium.
But with his deal expiring in June, iDiski Times sources said Jele was being blue ticked as no one was responding to his messages whether he is coming back or not and that is still the case.
But MaMkhize said the former Bucs defender is still their player. “Happy Jele is still within the club,” she said in short.
At the moment, Royal AM cannot register new players after the club lost their case against Samir Nurkovic and got banned by FIFA, with the club’s attempts to overturn the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) being rejected.
As the case was thrown out, the club cannot register new players in this window and also not in January unless they pay Nurkovic.
MaMkhize was asked what is going to happen to Nkanyiso Zungu, Sibusiso Sibeko and King Ndlovu, who have been part of the set-up in pre-season.
“I would not like to comment on that,” she replied.
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“Sometimes you must allow your stories to take its course. I will never allow myself to be judged or to take the final statement or let this internal case run by the media.
“I would like to allow processes to take its course and we will update you.”
