AmaZulu end speculation on goalkeeper Veli Mothwa

There were doubts the Bafana Bafana international would continue at Usuthu with his initial agreement entering the final months without any discussions taking place between the two parties during the 2023/24 season.

And when Mothwa went more than seven games without starting under coach Pablo Martin before and after the Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON], it appeared as though his four-year stint at the club would soon come to an abrupt end.

However, the public broadcaster has now established that the KwaZulu-Natal outfit took a decision recently to trigger the short-term option on Mothwa’s initial contract to retain his services for at least another season.

Mothwa, who joined AmaZulu from Chippa United in November 2020, has previously been linked to both Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs as well as Orlando Pirates and reports of interest resurfaced again when his contract situation came up.

The 33-year-old finished the previous campaign strong as Usuthu pushed to avoid being dragged into the relegation dogfight and was restored to being the first choice in the remaining 11 fixtures of the DStv Premiership.

Mothwa was still able to make the 24-man squad to the AFCON earlier this year despite a lack of game time, with coach Hugo Broos keen on him as backup to Ronwen Williams and Ricardo Goss during the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.

The fact that he was still part of the squad for the two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe last month suggests Mothwa remains part of the picture for the national team going forward.

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