Leicesterford City players facing unpaid wages and clearance delays, admit club chiefs

Leicesterford City players are still waiting for two months’ wages and, in some cases, clearance documents to join new clubs, with chief executive Bongani Khuluse acknowledging a “huge administrative issue” has left the Motsepe Foundation Championship side in crisis less than a fortnight before the new season.

Several squad members, including at least one who has already departed, say salaries for the past two months have not been paid and that some exits have stalled because the club has yet to release their clearances.

The Mpumalanga-based club, who finished 12th in South Africa’s second tier last season, is understood to be grappling with broader financial and administrative problems ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

“It’s been two months now, and we haven’t been paid for two months,” one former Leicesterford player told iDiski Times.

“But the bigger issue now also is that the club is not issuing clearances to us. How are we supposed to move?”

Club concedes non-payment but blames admin ‘flop’

Asked about the situation, CEO Khuluse confirmed that players have gone unpaid for two months, insisting the failure lay within the club’s own structures and was linked to paperwork they are still trying to secure.

“It depends which players you’re talking about. It’s our second month not paying the players, some of the things I can’t say because we have our confidentiality clause with our principals,” Khuluse told iDiski Times.

“But we’re working on it because if your payment is an administrative issue that we need to sort out. I’m not sure if I can tell you anything more than that.

“It’s a huge administrative issue. And as I’m saying, we’ve got principals that I wouldn’t want to mention it because the oversight or the flop was on our side.

“So, we’re trying to sort that out. Hopefully by this week we’ll be having that particular outstanding document and then we’ll be able to start processing our payments to the players.”

Khuluse did not specify the nature of the missing document or identify the “principals” involved, but stressed the club was working to resolve the impasse in time for wages to be processed.

Confusion over clearances for contracted and departing players

While some players say they have been unable to secure the paperwork needed to complete moves away, Khuluse drew a distinction between those whose contracts have expired and those still legally tied to Leicesterford City.

“There are players that have already lapsed their terms of contract. Those ones, we basically don’t have a problem. I think I’ve heard the administrator talking about this, they’re being sorted as we speak,” he said.

“The issue is there are players, still contracted to us, that have come to say, please give us our clearances, I can’t do that. I’m going to meet with the players, and they must say I want out; can you give me my clearance and what not. So that at the end of the day we don’t find ourselves as with the [PSL] DRC.

“So, we need to do things properly and it’s what I’ve made sure even with the technical team that if there’s anyone, we don’t want their services, we’re going to go through the proper process so that if tomorrow the player comes back or we need each other we’re able to work together.

“I think we’re dealing with human beings I can’t be sending clearances without firstly speaking with them properly.

“For the players who have left, I’ve made sure I’ve organised their clearances and remember they go through a certain process before they’re signed.

“I need to have the process before signing so I’ve asked the process to take place, but the process will take place…it’s taking place right now. And also, they’re still going to get their two-month salary.”

Khuluse’s reference to the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) underlines the club’s concern about potential legal action if releases are mishandled, but his comments are unlikely to ease frustration among players who remain unpaid and in limbo shortly before the league campaign begins.