- Mabena was involved in a contract dispute with Royal AM
- He won the case after approaching the PSL DRC and Labour Court
- The striker details how Pirates backed him
WHAT HAPPENED? Mabena was embroiled in a labour dispute with the KwaZulu-Natal side after they allegedly loaned him out to Swallows FC without his knowledge. The 35-year-old forward then disputed Royal AM’s move as they declined to pay his salary. The matter was then refereed to the Premier Soccer League Dispute Resolution Chamber and then the Labour Court. The player won the case and he states how Pirates supported him.
WHAT DID MABENA SAY?: “It was not nice on my side but yes, I went through it all and I have succeeded at the end of the day, here I am working for the Black and White again,” said Mabena on Metro FM Sports as per Soccer Laduma. “But mentally, I think was ready, I was strong and with all the support I was getting from the family, I think, that's why I went through these [cases] not alone but with them as well.
“And today I've succeeded by getting a contract with the Black and White and they are happy for me as well. They are still supporting me the way they were supporting me [in the contract saga with Royal AM]. We had to go through the DRC, I won the case and after that there was a rule that came out but nothing was being done, so we had to go to the Labour Court, that's when everything started.
“We had to come to an agreement, to say, you know what, let's sign an initial mutual agreement, where you can get your money and we can just part ways. And then we signed for that and they gave me my clearance and they are still paying me for the past months they were owing me.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mabena started training with Pirates in September before he signed a contract in early December. His arrival is expected to add more bite to the Buccaneers attack. Pirates’ leading scorer in their PSL campaign so far this season is Monnapule Saleng who has two goals in five games. That has sent coach Jose Riveiro on a hunt for a prolific striker.
Next Match
WHAT IS NEXT FOR MABENA? After signing for Pirates as a free agent, Mabena is eligible to feature in their next league game against Mamelodi Sundowns on December 30. For someone who has been training with the Buccaneers since September, he might be used to Riveiro's methods by now and chances are that he is also in good shape.