SN24 can reveal that former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, Sibusiso Vilakazi, took a huge pay cut to join Sekhukhune United.
‘Vila’, as he is affectionately known, recently joined Babina Noko from TS Galaxy on a four-month deal. He will stay on at the club until the end of May.
The club has the option to extend should he impress them during his short stint with them.
The former Bidvest Wits midfielder joined TS Galaxy in July 2022. This was after winding down his contract with Sundowns and was put on an R160 000 monthly salary.
However, after only 10 appearances in the colours of The Rockets, he had a nasty fallout with coach Sead Ramovic.
Ramovic publicly questioned Sibusiso Vilakazi’s dedication to the team.
Vilakazi supported by Pisto Mosimane
Sbusiso Vilakazi, who spent six successful years at Chloorkop, winning multiple trophies, received support from former Bafana Bafana and Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane.
“He’s a true professional who respects the game. He led the football conditioning training sessions, which are usually very tough, and he critiques his game,” Mosimane said.
A source close to the player has revealed that ‘Vila’ accepted a hefty slash on his wages to continue playing.
“He took a pay cut of about R60 000, so he’s earning less by a good R60k.
“But he could potentially make an extra R20k in winning bonuses. That’s how his deal is structured,” the source told SN24.
He has featured twice in the DStv Premiership for Babina Noko, with Coach Brandon Truter expressing happiness over his performances.
It remains to be seen how much of an impact Vilakazi will have on the Truter-coached side.
His debut for Sekhukhune United on 10 March in a 2-0 victory against Cape Town Spurs. The match was played at Peter Mokaba Stadium in a Nedbank Cup round of 16 match.
He came on as a substitute in the 84th minute for Vusimuzi Mncube. The 2013/14 player of the season has since featured twice in the PSL. He came on as a substitute in the 54th minute against Chippa United. His first start against Golden Arrows ended in a 0-0 draw at Princess Magogo Stadium on the 2nd of April.