Sipho Mbule, once seen as one of the brightest midfield prospects in South African football, is now navigating one of the most difficult chapters in his career. The 27-year-old, who was loaned from Mamelodi Sundowns to Sekhukhune United for the 2024/25 season, has seen his loan stint cut short under a cloud of controversy.
Despite showing glimpses of his talent with 18 appearances, 2 goals, and 3 assists at Babina Noko, the Bethlehem-born playmaker was reportedly released by the club due to misconduct – a label that continues to haunt him.
Mbule had previously made headlines during the 2022/23 campaign for arriving at training allegedly under the influence of alcohol while at Sundowns. Now, his agent Mike Makaab has come out in strong defense of his client, highlighting a deeper issue within the football industry.
“It’s unfortunate that once a player gets labelled, they become an easy target for all the criticism,” Makaab told Soccer Laduma. “If two players commit the same mistake, one with a clean image and another with a so-called ‘reputation,’ only one of those stories makes the news.”
While Makaab admitted that Mbule hasn’t been perfect, he insisted much of the narrative surrounding his client’s conduct has been exaggerated or simply untrue.
“Yes, Sipho may have his flaws, like many players, but some of the things reported are far from the full story. I’m not here to protect him blindly, but I also won’t let him be dragged unfairly,” Makaab added, choosing to withhold details that could allegedly implicate others.
As Mbule’s future hangs in the balance, one thing remains clear — he still has an advocate fighting in his corner. Whether he gets a chance to rebuild his career, however, remains to be seen.
