How missing a cricket match cost Makola his job at City

Mpho Makola has revealed the reason behind his sacking at Cape Town City.

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Makola, who has been with the club since 2019, saw his time with City come to an abrupt end with five months left to his contract, which had an option to extend his stay with one more year.

The veteran midfielder says missing a cricket match that was supposed to be attended by the players cost him his job at the Western Cape-based DStv Premiership club.

“From my side, everything changed when I didn’t attend a cricket match, there was a cricket match that was supposed to be attended by the team and I didn’t attend it because I had a meeting with my lawyer. I think after that everything changed from the coach. I am not going to say from the chairman (John Comitis), but from the coach himself Eric Tinkler,” Makola said in an interview with SABC radio.

“He took me out of the A team, and I asked him why and he told me about the cricket match I didn’t attend. I was puzzled by it because I was like, I am here to play football, not cricket. And I have been doing my job on and off the pitch from the football side.”

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“I thought it would be for one match (being dropped from the squad) and I will be back for the next match. But the next thing I was told that they are releasing me from my contract.”

He said the explanation he got was that the team were being rebuilt with young players. 

And since the team would not qualify for Caf competitions, he was no longer needed. 

“But in my head, I was thinking ‘okay, I am good enough for Caf, but not good enough for PSL, is that what you are saying?’ 

“They couldn’t show me my stats, because they are probably still the highest in the team,” added Makola.  

Makola, who has played for Free State Stars and Orlando Pirates, has been snapped up by title chasing Motsepe Foundation Championship side Polokwane City, who are vying for promotion to the DStv Premiership this season.