SuperSport are not Sundowns’ academy – Matthews

SuperSport United chief executive officer Stan Matthews does not take kindly to seeing his club being branded as Mamelodi Sundowns’ academy.

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In recent years, Matsatsantsa have sold more players to their neighbours more than any other team in the DStv Premiership and that has led to them being labelled as Sundowns development.

Players like Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, Reyaad Pieterse, Grant Kekana, Jeremy Brockie, and most recently, Sipho Mbule have joined Sundowns from SuperSport.

United captain Ronwen Williams is also heavily linked with a move to the Brazilians.

“We are not Sundowns’ development structure,” said Matthews.  

“Yes, the last five players we sold were to Sundowns but we are in business. If someone comes for a player, you face two options. You are either going to lose your player on a free transfer or you are going to have a grumpy unhappy player who is sitting on the sidelines and actually becoming a problem in the camp,” said Matthews.

“You want to have players who love being at the club, are ambitious and want to earn their big move. That’s not a problem for us but you need to show us what you can do first. Add to our trophy cabinet and don’t use our club as a bus stop. We don’t want that. We are not going to accept a culture in the club where young boys want to stay for one year and then they want to leave. They have to add to our football club and we will add to their lives,” he added.

“There are players like Daine Klate who added to the trophy cabinet and when he wanted a move, we asked him where he would like to go and we’ll make it happen. Players like Teboho who has been fantastic for us since he was a teenager. He never missed a day’s training, never had problems and his work ethic and humility was everything that you want in a player. When he has about eight years at the club and he wants to move, you want to give him that chance,” concluded Matthews.