Stellenbosch FC are reportedly set to offer highly-rated and in-demand midfielder Sibongiseni ‘Ox’ Mthethwa a new contract to try and fend off interest from DStv Premiership rivals.
Sibongiseni Mthethwa has attracted attention from the two Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, and AmaZulu FC. However, Stellenbosch FC wants to try and retain his services, SN24 has learnt.
The Cape Winelands-based side has already rejected an offer from AmaZulu, as reported by this publication in July. Usuthu is the only one to have tabled a bid for Mthethwa, with Chiefs and Pirates said to have enquired about the midfielder’s availability.
The Durban side’s R3 million offer fell short of the R8 million valuation by the Winelands outfit. The 28-year-old’s contract with Stellies expires on June 30, 2024, as he joined the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Motsepe Foundation Championship side Black Leopards in 2022.
It means if they don’t extend his deal, he will be free to sign a pre-contract in January 2024, just six months before the expiry of his contract.
Mthethwa has been a key figure in the defensive midfielder role for Stellenbosch. He made 34 appearances in all competitions for the club last season as they secured a top-eight season.
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His impressive displays did not go unnoticed, as he received a Bafana Bafana call-up for the recently concluded 2023 COSAFA Cup, where he featured for the national team.
In the new season, he has played in all six Stellies games. During the COSAFA Cup in Durban, Mthethwa stated that he is open to any transfer opportunity. He insisted he was up for any challenge at whichever club in the PSL.
“What I can say is that I’m open to playing in whichever part of the country. If that’s where the next challenge comes from,” he said. It remains to be seen if Stellenbosch can keep their important midfielder as the big guns circle for his signature.