The Citizen (Gauteng)

Khumalo stays on United books

DEPENDABLE: DEFENDER LANDS A NEW ONE-YEAR DEAL

- Michaelson Gumede

Dependable defender lands a new one-year deal.

Bongani Khumalo and SuperSport United continue to prove inseparabl­e after the club awarded the veteran defender a one year contract extension when his deal expired at the end of June. Khumalo is set to be with Matsatsant­sa A Pitori until the end of June 2021, which would see him having been at the club for eight years in three different stints.

While players like Thabo Mnyamane and Thabo Qalinge were let go by United, Khumalo continues to be a key figure in Kaitano Tembo’s squad even though he has not featured much since Tembo took over at the club last season.

“It has been like that for some time now, my contract is valid for the next year...obviously now the year is a bit strange but it is up in June 2021. We will have to see because the thing in South Africa is that once you reach the age of 30, you only sign a one plus one (year) contract. For now I have one more year and I am pretty excited and I will just focus on the year,” Khumalo told Phakaaathi.

However, Khumalo has one eye on his future beyond his one-year extension, saying he would need to consider a couple of factors, as he is in his 15th year as a profession­al footballer at the age of 33.

“After the next year I will need to see how my body feels, to see whether the club wants to keep me or whether I move on, those are things to consider once the contract is up. For now, I am really focused on what I have and that is another year with SuperSport and I am looking forward to it,” he said.

Khumalo lauded United for upholding the government’s strict regulation­s at training.

“We train in groups of five. With five people on the pitch there is very little room for contact. As per the guidelines, the club has been doing pretty well in terms of doing it by the book.”

 ?? Picture: Backpagepi­x ?? BONGANI KHUMALO
Picture: Backpagepi­x BONGANI KHUMALO

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