Qalinge to snub Chiefs after Pirates exit
Thabo Qalinge is said to have expected his contract at Orlando Pirates not to be renewed following a lack of game time last season, a source close to the player has revealed.
Thabo Qalinge (Gavin Barker/BackpagePix)
According to the source, ‘Section-10’, as Qalinge is affectionately known in the football circles, already has a plan on moving forward with his career and there a possible move away from Gauteng, but the player is keen on trying to find a club around.
“This was coming for him and he knew it. I mean, when your contract is about to expire at the club and no one is saying to you, what do you expect? That clearly means that they are not considering for the future of the club and you will be released,” said the source.
“He saw it coming, but had some hope that the management will come to him at the later stages, but now this has happened. It’s heart-breaking for him because he loves the club very and he grew up supporting it. But he is prepared to move on, this is football and not everything goes your way sometimes. There have been a couple of teams who knew about his contract expiring and they had already had a chat with him.”
A couple of reports in the past have linked Qalinge with Bucs rivals Kaizer Chiefs, but there hasn’t been any formal confirmation. It remains to be seen where the speedy winger will be playing next season.
Qalinge was listed among three other players Bucs didn’t renew their contracts – namely Jackson Mabokgwane, Abboubaker Mobara and Ayanda Nkosi.
READ: Qalinge, Mabokgwane lead player exodus at Pirates
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