Matthews Details Talks With Chiefs Over Mbule

SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews has revealed the details about his talks with Kaizer Chiefs’ Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr regarding Sipho Mbule.

The 24-year-old midfielder signed a three-year deal with Mamelodi Sundowns after Masandawana and Matsatsantsa agreed to an undisclosed transfer fee.

Mbule was linked with Chiefs as well and Matthews gave some insights how the talks developed.

“It wasn’t a decision that we made. We sat down with Sipho’s agent, Mike Makaab and we discussed what range of options are out there and what environment they felt he could give his best and be his best,” he told Skepe Matsebane on PowerFM.

“When they came back and said they found a place in Sundowns, we did a deal and I was open and upfront for many months now, saying Sipho would most likely leave us at the end of the season.

“It never really got to a club bidding war or anything like that. I was really more dialogue between ourselves and Mike Makaab than anything else.”

Matthews was then directly asked whether SuperSport had also received an offer from Kaizer Chiefs, but insisted Amakhosi’s interest never went past the talking stage.

“No, I did not get any formal offer from Kaizer Chiefs,” he explained.

“I did get enquiries but at the time I did get enquiries was July last year and Sipho wasn’t for sale. It was a different set of circumstances. 

“I know the media would like to play it like ‘Chiefs lost out to Sundowns’ but it wasn’t like that.”

When asked whether SuperSport are somewhat reluctant to sell to Kaizer Chiefs after Kaizer Jr recently confirmed Amakhosi’s interest, Matthews was adamant that the Glamour Boys only enquired in 2020 about the midfielder.

“It’s absolute nonsense. I did speak to Kaizer Jr., I like him very much, we’re in contact often and he did enquire last July about Sipho Mbule,” Matthews stated.

“I took the enquiry to my board and my board decided Sipho wasn’t not for sale. I had three enquiries about Sipho and it wasn’t the big three, so Sundowns was one and chiefs was one and I had another enquiry as well and a firm enquiry and in fact a firm offer from another club on Mbule and all three were turned down at that time.

“At the time that Kaizer made the approach to me, Sipho was’t for sale, which I told him and I told the other clubs as well. We never had any more follow-up on after that because it was always in the hand of Mike and Sipho themselves.”

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