Golden Arrows cancel Siyabonga Mtombeni’s three-year contract before his debut

Golden Arrows have terminated the contract of recent signing Siyabonga Mtombeni before the striker made a competitive appearance for the Betway Premiership club.

The cancellation has ended Mtombeni’s chance to represent the Durban-based side, despite the player reportedly agreeing to a three-year deal after joining from Upington City FC at the end of last season.

Mtombeni moved to Golden Arrows alongside his former Upington City FC team-mate Keabetswe Rakosa. However, according to a source, the centre-forward was informed that his agreement had been cancelled while he was still waiting to receive official copies of the contract.

“The contract was for three years, but the club informed the player that his contract had been canceled before he could even participate in a match,” said a source.

“The player accepted the decision because this occurred while he was still awaiting official copies of his contract.

“So, there’s nothing he could do,” added the source.

The circumstances surrounding the decision remain unclear. Golden Arrows were contacted for clarification, but club spokesperson Comfort Thusi was unavailable for comment after requesting a follow-up call an hour later.

Mtombeni arrived at the club having earned praise from experienced coach Dan Malesela, who had forecast a bright future for the forward. Malesela also compared him with Mandla ‘Metroblitz’ Sithole, the legendary former Orlando Pirates star.

The striker had scored once in 15 appearances for Upington City FC last season. His most prominent performance came in the 2025/26 Nedbank Cup against Durban City FC, when he was named Man of the Match.

Upington City FC were eventually eliminated from the competition after losing 2-0 in a penalty shootout.

Despite that background and the reported length of his proposed contract, Mtombeni did not feature for Golden Arrows before the club ended the agreement. The decision comes as the club continues its campaign in the Betway Premiership, including its league opener against Chippa United, in which Golden Arrows failed to score.