Kadodia ‘betrayed by a few’ at Maritzburg
THE financial implications that come with relegation from the Premiership are huge as clubs are subjected to losing sponsors rather than retaining them.
When Maritzburg United learnt that they would be competing in the PSL promotion/relegation play-offs, they knew they ran the risk of losing their union with the Gift of the Givers and Arminia Bielefeld if they were relegated.
Their first fears were indeed confirmed last week as they lost out on an opportunity to retain their Premiership status via the play-offs to Cape Town Spurs, who finished top of the three-team mini league.
Losing the Gift of the Givers and Arminia seems to be looming large, or even confirmed, given the damning accusations of betrayal from Maritzburg chairperson Farook Kadodia.
On Sunday, Kadodia wrote a long statement directed at the club’s players, sponsors and fans on the post-mortem of their season. It was a scathing attack on the playing personnel.
“To the players, we felt betrayed by a few individuals whose questionable concessions of goals during the critical stages of our battle for survival proved detrimental,” Kadodia said in the statement.
“The absence of an attacking approach in search of a winning goal was overshadowed by unappealing defensive tactics.”
Those were shocking remarks from Kadodia given that it was the same players who pulled their weight and ensured they took the play-offs down to the wire after a slow start.
After Spurs won their first three games, the Team of Choice looked dead and buried, but a win against Casric Stars gave them a chance.
Things didn’t go according to plan as they drew with Spurs in their final game, which they had to win. But that was not for a lack of trying as they had the most possession (62%), pass accuracy (72%) and shots at goal (12).
While they might not have had a shot on target compared to Spurs’ one, which was saved by Renaldo Leaner, for Kadodia to question Maritzburg’s defensive tactics is unfathomable.
What is also noticeable from Kadodia’s statement is that there is no mention of coach Fadlu Davids, given that he also chose to start strikers Friday Samu and Ali Meza on the bench.
Meza, who has since been released by the club after his contract came to an end, is allegedly wanted by a host of clubs, including Swallows FC, in the top flight.
Meza was also the player who scored the goal that gave Maritzburg a chance in the play-offs, having come off the bench to earn his team a point in a 1-1 draw with champions Mamelodi Sundowns in their last league game of the season.
Of course, there have been numerous cases of match-fixing in South African football, but for Kadodia to come out and accuse his players of “hindering our progress”, without proof, is shocking.
He should simply leave the past behind him and focus on how Maritzburg will ensure they bounce back to the top flight so they can secure sponsors.