ABRAW SAGA rages on

The date for the resolution of the transfer saga between Bloemfontein Celtic and Kaizer Chiefs over former Free State Stars striker, Camaldine Abraw, has been set. The two PSL outfits will meet at a PSL DRC hearing on Tuesday morning at 09:00 at the PSL offices in Johannesburg.

The furore around Abraw was sparked by the Soweto giants’ unveiling of the Togolese player at a press conference this week, despite him having already signed a three-year pre-contract with Siwelele.

According to Celtic owner, Max Tshabalala, Abraw is a Celtic player who voluntarily signed for the Bloemfontein side at Siwelele Park. On Tuesday, however, Chiefs unveiled Abraw among its five new signings, namely Daniel Cardoso who is also from Stars; Bongani Ndulula from Amazulu; Lucky Baloyi from Moroka Swallows; former Celtic defender, Keegan Ritchie and Siyanda Xulu who returns to South Africa from Russian club, Rostov.

In a statement released on the Celtic website, following the Chiefs player unveiling, Tshabalala said his club would pursue an amicable solution for the Abraw signing problem.
“Even though we are not happy to see Chiefs unveil him (Abraw) while negotiations are ongoing, we will remain humble and continue working towards closing this chapter in a professional manner.

Later on Tuesday evening Tshabalala openly expressed his disappointment in Chiefs team manager, Bobby Motaung, whom he claims was present when Abraw issued the apology.
He revealed in an on-air interview with leading Bloemfontein-based radio station Motheo FM that Abraw had apologised for the mix-up and said the entire process had taken place in Motaung’s presence. It was also during the same interview that Tshabalala mentioned that Siwelele would approach the PSL DRC for an appropriate solution.

Chiefs, however, is not budging with Motaung telling the media on Thursday that Chiefs does not mind going to the DRC to resolve the matter.

Motaung told Times Media: “We heard about that. Let them (Celtic) come. We will go to the DRC with them. I won’t talk about their chairman (Max Tshabalala).
I don’t know that man. And I do not talk to him through the media.”

Abraw’s much publicised saga – which recently became the media’s sudden centre of focus during the current transfer window period – has even stolen the shine from Chiefs’ unveiling of Xulu, who is supposedly their marquee signing.

Although other transfers between the two outfits have gone smoothly so far during the current transfer window period – with Ritchie having signed a two-year deal with Amakhosi and Chris Matombo having been loaned to the Bloemfontein side by Chiefs – it is not the first time that Chiefs have pulled one over Celtic.

Back in 2012 former Bloemfontein Celtic defender, Mulomowandau Mathoho, was at the centre of separate impasse which saw Chiefs unveil his jersey using a mannequin despite negotiations on his possible transfer not having been concluded.

In what ultimately seemed like a coerced sale, Mathoho eventually walked onto the park in the gold and black when the 2013/2014 season commenced.