Kaizer Chiefs winger Asanele Velebayi has given himself a pat on the back for staying focused when his transfer to Amakhosi was in doubt and lauded his mental fortitude.
Velebayi, 23, finally joined Chiefs in August after a protracted dispute with his former club, Cape Town Spurs, who were withholding his clearance, despite their relegation to the amateur ranks.
The PSL dispute resolution committee declared Velebayi a free agent to eventually join Chiefs. Spurs appealed via a Safa arbitrator, who also ruled against them.
“It was a tough moment not only for me but for my family as well,” Velebayi said during a media conference at Naturena yesterday, ahead of Amakhosi’s league fixture against Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium tonight at 7.30pm.
“I’d like to give compliments to myself for staying focused and just keeping my head up because I didn’t know what was going to happen. So, compliments to myself for being strong mentally and for just staying ready, believing that it’d happen, and sure enough, it happened, and now I am here.”
Velebayi, who has already played five times for Amakhosi this season, made it clear that he had always wanted to play for the Glamour Boys but didn’t want to dwell on the past.
“I am grateful that I am finally here ... I don’t want to speak too much about what has happened in the past, the legal cases; I am just happy that the move finally happened. My main thing is to focus on the job at hand and forget what happened in the past,” Velebayi said.
He expects Arrows to be aiming for redemption against Chiefs, having lost three of their last five league games before the Afcon break.
“We know it’s not going to be an easy one. I don’t think Arrows have been consistent in terms of their last few results... [so] we know that they will be looking to redeem themselves,” Velebayi said.
League fixtures (all midweek matches kick off at 7.30pm)
Today: Chiefs v Arrows, FNB; Sekhukhune v Stellenbosch, Peter Mokaba
Tomorrow: Galaxy v Gallants, Mbombela
Friday: Bay v Siwelele, Richard Bay
Saturday: Orbit v Chippa, Olympia Park (3.30pm); Sekhukhune v Pirates, Peter Mokaba, (3.30pm)
Sunday: AmaZulu v Galaxy, Moses Mabhida (3.30pm); Durban v Polokwane, Chatsworth (6pm).
CAF Champions League
Friday: Sundowns v Al-Hilal, Loftus Versfeld (8pm)
Confederation Cup
Sunday: Zesco v Chiefs, Levy Mwanawasa (3pm); Belouizdad v Stellenbosch, Baraki (9pm).
Sowetan
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