Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs will be forced into making crucial decisions on the futures of three first-team stars who head into the final six months of their current contracts in January.
Without any domestic football set to take place until the last two days of the year, Chiefs’ return to training in the next few days will also mean uncertainty regarding the future of Itumeleng Khune, Khama Billiat, and Mulomowandau Mathoho.
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Reality is that whatever happens next the three will take cuts on their packages with the next contracts that they sign be at Chiefs or wherever they move to next.
Khune has fought his way back this season to feature in seven games to date but has found himself back dimmed out by injury forcing him to miss the last four games.
He has missed eleven consecutive derbies through his battles with form and injury in the last four years.
The 35-year-old is also in the last year of his contract and his case will be a major subject of discussion yet again considering that he is a club legend.
Khune has only ever played for Chiefs since making his debut 15 years ago and the club remains in safe hands minus him with Brandon Petersen, Bruce Bvuma, and Bontle Molefe.
As one of the top earners at the club through the years and a long-serving member, Khune’s contract is always a sensitive matter and discussions will revolve around how keen he is to continue playing considering his recent injury worries.
Billiat is battling his way through the last season on his contract with matters relating to his scoring return the most worrisome element of his game.
The Zimbabwean attacker last scored in April in the 2-1 defeat to Golden Arrows.
Since then, he has featured in 16 games without scoring and though he has provided assists his critics are dancing in the rain.
Eleven of those games have been played this term and with his contract running down towards the last six months his continued stay will again be debatable considering the weight of his package.
Through his difficulties at Chiefs, Billiat has been worth a goal in every six games as he also works his way towards taking his scoring tally playing for a South African club to 100.
He is currently on 97 and leading the ranks of all those still playing in the PSL.
Should he not be at Chiefs next, Billiat still has the option of moving to the Middle East to consider.
For Mathoho, the writing is on the wall.
The veteran defender has only played less than a minute this season after sinking down the pecking order in the competition for a place at the back.
That little run of action against SuperSport United two months ago has been all the action that he has had in the last 26 games that the club has played.
It was back in March that Mathoho last played properly playing until half-time against Golden Arrows before being withdrawn after messing up in handing the visitors the goal that won them the match.
At 32 and after a decade at Chiefs, the signals are all pointing to a way out in favour of younger options with Luke Fleurs being pursued.
Njabulo Blom’s contract is also up in June, but his situation is different as the club still needs him and just needs to improve his contract to keep him.
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