JOHANNESBURG - AmaZulu general manager Lunga Sokhela has ordered new signing Michael Morton to sort out his life.
The utility player who joined Usuthu last week from SuperSport United has two agents - Mike Makaab and Steve Kapeluschnik - claiming to be his manager.
Sokhela said the battle for the player’s ownership won’t jeopardise his contract with them.
“It’s not a complicated matter. Yes there are issues on Michael’s side regarding his agent but it is not going to hinder the deal. We’ve signed everything with him,” Sokhela said.
“It’s up to the player to sort out his life. It is critical that he sorts out this matter so that we can focus on football.”
While Makaab would not want to comment on who manages the player, he said he was in the process of finalising the deal.
“No comment, let’s talk football," he said “We are meeting with AmaZulu tomorrow to finalise the deal.”
Kapeluschnik said: “I can’t comment about Morton matter. I will deal with it in the right forums.”
Efforts to get hold of Morton proved futile as his phone rang unanswered and was later off.
Fresh from representing South Africa in the Chan qualifier win against Botswana, the midfielder has been included in the squad for the next stage where Bafana Bafana will take on Zambia.
At AmaZulu, Morton will be playing for his fifth professional club having previously donned the jerseys of Orlando Pirates, Bidvest Wits, Maritzburg United and SuperSport.
At Usuthu he is going to compete with the likes of Samuel Darpoh, Butholezwe Ncube and Siyethemba Mnguni. The club has already signed Jabulani Ncobeni, Sduduzo Dlamini, Siyabonga Mbatha, Ayabulela Konqobe (all from Thanda Royal Zulu), Mnguni, Sadat Ouro-Akoriko and Boalefa Pule.
Usuthu are now pursuing the signature of Bongi Ntuli.
“Both parties are keen to join each other. Bongi wants to come and play for us and we also want to have him in our squad but the fact of the matter is that he is Mamelodi Sundowns' player,” Sokhela explained.
AmaZulu are back in the top flight after two seasons. They bought the status of National First Division (NFD) champions Thanda Royal Zulu. A lot of people in the football fraternity criticised that move, but Sokhela defended their purchase.
“People need to understand that football is a business and it is that approach that allowed us to raise the kind of sponsorship we raised. It wasn’t going to help the brand to stay in the lower division for another season," he said.
"It is good that a club from KwaZulu-Natal took the opportunity (of buying the status of Thanda Royal Zulu). We didn’t lose as a province and that is excellent. In life there’s one thing that you should understand, there will always be critics. No matter what you do people will always find a way to criticise you.”