Moorosi Tsiane
LIOLI interim president technical, Moses Maliehe says his team is releasing Luciano Matsoso at the end of this season after an unimpressive stint.
So unimpressed by the club’s highest paid player that the team is not even attempting to extend his six months’ stay.
In fact, the player has told the club that he has been invited for trials by an Uzbek side and they are letting him go.
The Likuena winger joined Tse Nala in January this year on a six months deal from South Africa’s Black Leopards where he had spent almost two seasons on the sidelines.
Maliehe said the winger, whose contract with the team ends this month, has already alerted Lioli that he has been invited for trials by an Uzbek team. The former Likuena gaffer said Lioli has been unimpressed by Matsoso’s performance.
“We expected so much from him but everyone, including the supporters, is disappointed by his performance because it is not what we expected,” Maliehe said.
“I have worked with him in the national team and I know he is a good player but he seems to have been affected by some off the field issues.”
Maliehe said now that the former Oskar Przysucha (Polish side) attacker has been invited for trials in Uzbekistan, no one would stand in his way.
“He has already informed us that he has been invited for trials by an Uzbek team and since his contract is ending this month, we won’t stand in his way. He will be a free agent by then because, according to the invitation, the trials are in July,” Maliehe said.
He said he was unsure how the player would travel to Uzbekistan when there are no commercial flights due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Matsoso was Lioli’s highest paid player earning M15 000 monthly and Maliehe said they would now try to get players for lower fees.
“His salary was very high but his performance doesn’t match it. So, next season we will not have a slimmer budget to share among the players whom we believe will bring value to the team.”
Lioli went into the Covid-19 induced sitting fifth in the 14-team table with 28 points from 18 matches. The side has eight matches to play before the end of the season.
