The Limpopo-born midfielder recently joined the Premier Soccer League newboys after a stint in Malta, but according to his older brother Nkipitheni - who is a former Manning Rangers and South Africa U-23 international - Leopards no longer want to keep their end of the bargain.
"I don't know what to say, but he is still a Black Leopards player. He’s got a contract, he’s got everything ... i problem yileyo nje [that’s the only problem]," Nkipitheni tells this website.
"We spoke ngendaba ye salary [the issue of the salary] and we reached an agreement, but after two weeks having signed the contract and everything, they came back and said they want to change the contract. They want to reduce the money, they say they don't have a budget. We gave them an option, but even the second option they said still is too much. What I know is that when they started the whole thing they knew that they were coming to the PSL, they knew the Absa Premiership’s got a monthly grant, they knew they don't have sponsor. And when they negotiate they knew that this is what they can afford and this is the value of the boy, and then they did what? They gave us an offer, and then after two weeks they came back and said no! They can't because according to me they don't know what they are doing. Because if you know what you are doing you know how much you have, you know how much you want to spend, and you know the value. They came ... I spoke to them, I spoke to David [Thidiela], we spoke but at the end of the day I don't know ... hhayi angazi [I don’t know]. Because we spoke and agreed, and then we signed a contract. It's not like we spoke, agreed and signed on the same day do you understand? We spoke, agreed, then the following day we sat down, we signed. It means if they had a problem the following day they were supposed to do what? They said no, we know that we spoke but we changing our mind, we can't carry on, you understand? Ja, but [when] the person is telling you the amount is too much and what, what after two weeks ... you can't go and do your budget after two weeks. You do your budget before."
Nkipitheni says despite the issue the player is still part of Lidoda Duvha.
"He is training with the team, he is participating. Yes, they are not picking him anywhere or in the 18. Right now we can't talk about the salary because they are [only] to get paid at the end of the month. It means right now according to me they might be honouring whatever they are honouring. The rest we will see at the end of the month if they will pay him or they will not pay him. They've got his clearance, they've got everything. He's already signed you understand me? They must just release the boy, that's if they don't really want the boy - rather than to frustrate the boy do you understand me?"
Leopards official Tshifiwa 'Chief' Thidiela couldn't be reached for comment, while club spokesperson Berry Ramunenyiwa had this to say on the matter: "There is nothing officially that we've heard, any sorts of issues regarding Matombo at the club you know. It's safe to say, the other thing that we were talking about with some of my colleagues is that you know, such issues Matombo could actually be able to handle them with the team you see. I mean he is employed in this instance; it's a contract between him and the team, and when family comes on board that's where we are also unable to comment.
"Our policy is ... we don't even divulge people's contracts. Safe to say for this term, this is a number of years the guy has signed and then we move on. We don't really go to the nitty gritty. And even the players themselves they hardly would go and say I've signed such and such contract with some teams, either than talking about years and the values and stuff like that. Because that's more of a very private thing, and you know that we are not the only team that does that. As far as his contract is concerned we can't go and comment on what the family says you see."