After a third successive season on loan, Orlando Pirates defender Thembela Sikhakhane could join AmaZulu FC on a permanent basis at the end of the current campaign.
Since being signed by Pirates from Golden Arrows in 2016, the Ulundi-born star spent only one season with the Soweto giants, spending the rest on loan with Usuthu.
The Siya crew previously reported that the KZN outfit had been so impressed with Sikhakhane that they were keen to make his stay permanent. However, they weren't able to do that as the player still has one year left on his existing contract with the Buccaneers.
Now AmaZulu could finally secure their target if interim coach Ayanda Dlamini's recent comments are anything to go by. Speaking to the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA) last week, 'Cobra' revealed the club's intention to make the 27-year-old's stay permanent.
"Look, we've kept Thembela for the remainder of the season. Sikhakhane is still contracted with Orlando Pirates, we need to start those negotiations, but we would like to have him permanently. He is a very good player. We will be happy to have him permanently, but that will depend on whether the teams agree on that," Dlamini said.
It is understood that the player, who recently signed a short-term deal to complete the 2019/20 season with AmaZulu, is keen on returning to his hometown on a permanent basis. However, the player's representative, Alban Newman from Prosport International, confirmed to the Siya crew that the final decision on the defender's future lies with Pirates.
"If AmaZulu are interested in the player, they need to speak to Orlando Pirates about the player because he is contracted to Orlando Pirates," he explained.
Sikhakhane has made 14 appearances in all competitions for the KZN outfit this season.
