Kaizer Chiefs defender Eric Mathoho’s contract is set to expire in June, making him eligible to sign a pre-contract with a club of his choice. However, Mathoho has instructed his camp to wait on Amakhosi before exploring any other options. According to FIFA rules, the soon-to-be 33-year old is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a club of his choice.
Mathoho’s game-time has significantly decreased since Arthur Zwane took over permanently at the beginning of the season, with the defender having only played for one minute so far this season. As such, it will be hard to justify the renewal of his contract.
One hope for Mathoho to remain at Chiefs beyond June 2023 could lie with the future of Zwane. The Amakhosi hierarchy have reportedly set up processes to review Zwane’s reign in charge as the season progresses. If Zwane is unable to win the Nedbank Cup, his future at the club could also be under serious doubt, which would affect how the club responds to players whose contracts are coming to an end.
Mathoho has been with the Glamour Boys since 2012, when he joined the club from the defunct Bloemfontein Celtic. He is one of the long-serving players at Chiefs, but the club have been brutal in discarding players in the twilight of their careers, not renewing the contracts of Daniel Cardoso, Lebogang Manyama, Samir Nurkovic and Leonardo Castro among others.
