Sacked Swallows players still training with the Birds!

In a bizarre turn of events on Tuesday, Moroka Swallows posted photos of players they have sacked training with the club.

The Birds put up two pictures on their Twitter account, of former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi and midfielder Tlakusani Mthethwa involved in training, even though they are two of 22 players the club said they have fired, after they refused to train at the end of last year over unpaid salaries.

#MorokaSwallows pic.twitter.com/WiR1pJXMnc

— Moroka SwallowsFC (@Moroka_Swallows) January 30, 2024

Swallows pulled out of two DStv Premiership matches against Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns and ended up having 3-0 defeats handed to them by a PSL disciplinary committee.

The Birds subsequently held a their own hearing, and initially sacked 22 players, though six more have also been reported to have been fired since.

It is unknown at this stage if Akpeyi and Mthethwa are training with Swallows to keep fit, or if they are negotiating new deals with the club.

It has emerged, meanwhile, that one of the players sacked by Swallows after the initial 22 were fired was former Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder Andile Jali

“Andile was one of the players … dismissed by Swallows,” Jali’s agent Mike Makaab told Gagasi FM.

"AJ was injured, so he was not available to train or play." Mike Makaab on the sacking of Andile Jali by Swallows.
Video courtesy of Gagasi FM pic.twitter.com/r06JGL4yj3

— Sithembiso Dindi (@sithembisodindi) January 30, 2024

“We are speaking to the club and contesting that decision. AJ was injured (when the players were on strike) and wasn’t able to train or play.”