Orlando Pirates star Thalente Mbatha slams 'false' drinking allegations

Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana star midfielder Thalente Mbatha says there in no truth to reports claiming he's been suspended by the club after arriving to training under the influence of alcohol.

Mbatha has been absent from Pirates' squad since their 2-1 win over Sekhukhune United, but this has been attributed to an injury, which he is expected to recover from soon.

This week, it was claimed the player had been sent home after arriving to training drunk, and would not be available until an investigation was completed.

But, Mbatha took to his Instagram page to dispute the claims. “They said I’m not training… You’re listening to everything,” he said in an Instagram Live earlier on Tuesday.

“I just came back from training. I don’t know a thing about being suspended. People can say whatever about me, but I’m coming from training.

“I’ll see you tomorrow guys [against Golden Arrows]. I guess the person who started all this knows better. I guess he’s the one who hired me, he’s the owner.”

Mbatha's agent Mike Makaab has also weighed in on the matter and demanded an apology over the claim.

“It is deeply disappointing to see defamatory and unfounded allegations being made about a professional footballer’s character and conduct,” the agent said Makaab stated in a lengthy post on X.

“The claim that Thalente Mbatha arrived at training under the influence is completely false. 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.”

IOL Sport