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The 29-year-old is available on a free transfer after leaving the Sea Robbers. Which club will take the opportunity to sign him?
The Orlando Pirates have released eight players in an attempt to make room for the new signings before the 2020-21 season.
At the top of the list of players whose contracts were mutually terminated is Xola Mlambo, the man Rhulani Mokwena dubbed the PSL’s best midfielder not too long ago.
Mlambo came to Pirates two seasons ago from Bidvest Wits and raised the bar so high that even those who didn’t realize him asked for his inclusion in the Bafana Bafana squad.
Mlambo’s departure is a huge loss for the Buccaneers, but there is nothing anyone can do at this point, especially if the coaching staff feels it doesn’t fit into their plans for the new season.
But the Soweto-born midfielder has options and may not have a hard time finding a club he would call home.
Now what’s next for the talented midfielder after the Bucs leave?
The Amakhosi are prohibited from signing new players, but they can still sign their potential signings while awaiting the outcome of their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS).
It is for this reason that they invited S’fiso Hlanti to join them in training in order to sign him in case the transfer ban was lifted.
The Chiefs can do the same with Mlambo, who is one of the guys Gavin Hunt signed at Wits and won him a national double in 2016.
Aside from Hunt’s understanding of the player, Naturena’s team could use Mlambo’s experience in midfield, especially since they have yet to find a replacement for George Maluleka, who left them for Mamelodi Sundowns.
Not only does Mlambo bring creativity in midfield, he can also provide protection for the four behind, the role that Willard Katsande has played for the past nine years at Chiefs.
And with Katsande approaching the twilight of his career, Mlambo could be a perfect long-term replacement for him.
SuperSport United
Matsatsantsa is short of options in midfield following the departure of Dean Furman earlier this year.
And while they have young players like Tebogo Mokoena and Sipho Mbule to fill the big shoes that Furman left behind, the reality is that their midfield needs experience, and that’s where Mlambo comes in.
In the past, SuperSport showed interest in Lucky Mohomi of Sundowns even when they weren’t playing because they knew they needed a workhorse to dominate that midfield.
However, they failed in their attempt to lure him in, as Sundowns was reluctant to let him go to SuperSport to no avail of the deal.
Now, Mlambo is free and United will not have to spend cash to sign him and would be hiring a quality midfielder with a winning mentality.
Mamelodi sundowns
Could Sundowns be an option? That is complicated because the Brazilians have already brought in more than 10 new signings.
But there are reports of interest from Sundowns in the local media ahead of Mlambo’s launch – that’s how talented and special the midfielder is.
His relationship with Rhulani Mokwena began many years ago at Soweto’s Black Poison FC, the club owned by the current Sundowns co-manager.
And in all honesty, Mlambo flourished under Mokwena, and it will be interesting to see if his former boss sees him as a player who can get in and evict players like Hlompho Kekana and Tiyani Mabunda, among others.
If Mlambo isn’t going to any of the aforementioned clubs, and perhaps other teams like Cape Town City, Swallows FC, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and TS Galaxy who have shown enough hunger to want to succeed in the top flight, then a return to Chippa United it could also be an option.
It was Chippa where South African soccer fans began to notice Mlambo’s talent, and perhaps the club can welcome him as we have seen with other players like Aubrey Ngoma, who went to Cape Town.
Mlambo can bring stability to Lehlohonolo Seema’s team. Seema is building a project and after releasing no less than 15 players, replacing those with quality is non-negotiable for him, even more so because he can get some of them for free.
