Sekhukhune United head coach Eric Tinkler has not minced his words regarding the form of his star performer from last season, Keletso Makgalwa.
The forward, who was a standout in the 2024/25 campaign and was nominated for both the Player of the Season and Player’s Player of the Season awards, has struggled to recapture his spark in the early stages of the new campaign.
Makgalwa, who lost out on both awards to Mamelodi Sundowns’ Lucas Ribeiro Costa, has featured in all three of Sekhukhune’s opening matches but has yet to produce the same attacking threat that made him one of the league’s most dangerous forwards last term. His only notable contribution so far came via an assist from a corner in the season opener.
“I don’t think Keletso has done that well in the three games that he’s played,” Tinkler admitted.
“First game, yes, he had an assist, but that was from a corner. But he hasn’t really created many opportunities for himself or for others in these last two matches.”
The coach also addressed speculation surrounding Makgalwa’s future, hinting that much of the talk is generated by external influences rather than genuine offers.
“There are always those rumours… but a lot of that comes down to the media or sometimes the agent putting that information out there. We’ve made Keletso aware that we’ll never stand in his way if he gets a better contract somewhere else, but there needs to be an offer – and there hasn’t been. So it’s all talk.”
Tinkler’s message to the player was clear: consistency is key.
“What he must be aware of is that he’s a professional footballer, has a contract with Sekhukhune United, and he needs to duplicate what he did last season. Then people will take him more seriously.”
