Will Thalente Mbatha play Orlando Pirates next game

Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has addressed allegations that he arrived at the club’s training grounds intoxicated.

This week, social media was buzzing with claims that the young midfielder showed up at Rand Stadium under the influence of alcohol, which prevented him from participating in the daily training sessions.

Mbatha’s agent Mike Makaab took to social media to demand a public apology on social media.

Orlando Pirates star Thalente Mbatha denies drunk allegation

“It is deeply disappointing to see defamatory and unfounded allegations being made about a professional footballer’s character and conduct. The claim that Thalente Mbatha arrived at training under the influence is completely false,” Makaab wrote on his X account.

“Thalente was injured and has since resumed training with his team. Any suggestion that his absence was due to serious misconduct is not only damaging to his reputation but also defamatory.

“We demand a public apology on social media to the player, his family, and his club. Should this not be forthcoming, we reserve all rights to pursue appropriate legal action. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy, but it does not extend to the spread of baseless falsehoods that harm an individual’s reputation.”

Mbatha has played 13 times for Orlando Pirates this season scoring three times. On Monday, he took to Instagram Live to set the record straight.

“They said I’m not training, you listen to everything, and I just came back from training. People can say whatever about me, but I’m coming from training. You guys will see me tomorrow [against Golden Arrows],” Mbatha said.

“I guess the person who said this knows better; maybe he’s the one who hired me, or he owns the club. You see when you’re doing well, people will always want to do things to bring you down.

“What I say, guys, is that I’m from training, and in the past matches, I was injured; even the team did say that I was injured. I’m fit for tomorrow; if they put me in the team, then I’m playing.”

It remains to be seen if Mbatha will be in the Orlando Pirates squad to face Golden Arrows on Wednesday night.

Can Mbatha bounce back from this scandal?

Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.

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