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Orlando Pirates has terminated Thandani Ntshumayelo’s contract after news broke of the player’s four-year suspension for testing positive for a class A drug.
A recent statement from the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport revealed that Ntshumayelo had confessed to snorting three lines of cocaine at a party.
The 26-year-old midfielder said he was influenced by his friends to take the cocaine and admitted he had made a mistake. The Bucs star testified that he knew the substance was cocaine and that it was illegal for him to use it.
“Bibo” tested positive following a routine drug test he took after a Premiership match between Pirates and Platinum Stars at Orlando Stadium on January 9.
He was given a four-year ban from football.
Ntshumayelo’s agent, Tim Sukazi, has confirmed that Pirates had terminated the player’s contract with immediate effect.
He told Kwesé Sports: “Yes, he had one year to go with Pirates on his deal. After the four-year sentence was announced, he was called into a hearing.
“He pleaded guilty, but the club terminated his contract. They ceased all his salary payments with immediate effect.
“Obviously, he is devastated, but a positive spin is that he got found out, because people can get addicted to these things.”
The player has 21 days to appeal his four-year ban by the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport, from the day the sentence was handed down on Tuesday.
Ntshumayelo is not new to controversy.
In 2014, on his Instagram profile, he posted a picture of himself and some of his team mates naked and taking a shower after Pirates beat Bidvest Wits 3-1 to win the Nedbank Cup at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The picture went viral and Ntshumayelo apologised through Twitter to the club and the competition sponsor for his misconduct. –Sport24
