As the 2018-19 South Africa ABSA Premiership season draws near, it appears that Liberia international, Anthony Snoti Laffor, will remain with five-time premiership champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, despite being rumored to be making a move away from the club.
Laffor’s future with Sundowns made much news at the end of the 2017-18 season after Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Pitso Mosimane, told South African online media outlet, The Citizen, that the club won’t stand in the way of the former Lone Star captain if he decides to seek a new challenge elsewhere.
Mosimane’s statement gave light to several clubs that were interesting in Laffor’s services. South African giant, the Kaizer Chiefs, and SuperSport United were among the top clubs leading the race to take the 33-year-old away from the Sundowns. However, their efforts were apparently fruitless, with Mosimane playing down the rumors surrounding Laffor’s move away from the club.
In an interview with KickOff.com, Mosimane said the former LISCR FC star player is still a part of his plans and the player himself hasn’t expressed any desire to leave the club.
“In football, there’ll always be rumors linking everybody everywhere. He hasn’t said that he wants to go. We haven’t said he must go; he hasn’t said he wants to go. There will always be speculation, and sometimes media will blow things out of proportion. But, it’s football. We are part of the industry and we have to deal with that,†Mosimane told KickOff.com.
Meanwhile, Laffor revealed to The Bush Chicken that the decision was reached after meeting with the club executives. He said he’ll remain at the club until the end of his contract that expires at the end of the 2018-19 season.
“I’m on camp now with Sundowns. After meeting with the club, the coach said I cannot go. So yeah, I’m staying with the club until the end of my contract at the end of the coming season. At the end of the season, I’ll decide if I want to go or stay because I will be a free agent,†Laffor told The Bush Chicken.
With the 2017-18 ABSA Premiership Player of the Season and joint top goal scorer, Percy Tau set to move away from the Sundowns, Laffor could make his way onto the Sundowns’ regular first team when the new season begins in August. Already, Zimbabwe international Khama Billiat has left the club for Kaizer Chiefs and Percy Tau’s possible departure will mean a lot for Laffor, who will also have to compete with newly signed New Zealand international Jeremy Brockie, Venezuelan forward Jose Ali Meza, and Guinea-Bissau Toni Silva for place in the attack for the Sundowns.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley Jr.
