Unhappiness at Royal AM as players unsure who is next on firing line

There is a lot of worry and uncertainty in the Royal AM camp as some players are unsure if they still have a future with the club or not, Mgosi Squad has heard.

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There have been a few players who were released by the Pietermaritzburg-based club out of the blue and that has caused fear among those left behind. 

A source who is close to one of the players at Royal AM says former coach John Maduka’s sudden exit from the club unsettled the players. 

“You must remember that John has always been a big brother to most of these guys. When they were at (Bloemfontein) Celtic together, and they were not getting their salaries and all that, he was there and kept them together,” says the source. 

“And when Celtic were suddenly sold and renamed to Royal AM, there was a lot of uncertainty but because he was there with them, they went through the transition smoothly. 

“It also helped that MaMkhize (Shauwn Mkhize, club president) was there all the time with them, reassuring them. But recently she has been busy with her other stuff and things are not smooth anymore,” added the source.

Midfielder Given Mashikinya has followed Maduka to Maritzburg United while Ndumiso Mabena was also released this week. 

“All these guys are seniors in the team and they were leaders but now they are let go without a second thought. The way that Maduka left without even saying goodbye to the team really unsettled the guys there. 

“They don’t know who will be next to be shown the door because it seems they are rebuilding the team even though they did so well last season,” says the source. 

Phakaaathi has previously reported that MaMkhize was unhappy with how the decision to let Maduka go was made in her absence.