Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain warns troubled ex-Kaizer Chiefs transfer target Sipho Mbule after Sekhukhune United debacle - 'The outside world is letting him down and time is no longer on his side'

Sipho Mbule has been on loan at Sekhukhune United from Mamelodi Sundowns this season.

But Babina Noko have reportedly opted against keeping Sipho Mbule beyond his loan deal at the club following allegations of arriving in camp "in poor condition" according to SABC Sport.

Former Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has commented on Mbule's situation, saying he is in "pain" seeing Mbule in such state.

"If you remember, we have spoken about Sipho Mbule before, and it will pain me if this boy doesn’t realise his full potential in football because we all know what he is capable of doing," said Kekana on SABC’sSoccer Zone as per KickOff. 

"I was praising him last week, saying this boy is playing some top-class football and needed consistency. However, it is the outside world that is letting him down, and time is no longer on his side.

"You look at him, look at his age, he is approaching 30, and when you reach 30, we are going to start looking at you funny, and you are going to get to a stage where you need football, and it doesn’t need you," added the former Bafana Bafana star. 

"Football is cruel like that, in the sense that when you need it, that’s when it doesn’t need you. Now is the time when he should be doing so much with football because time in football doesn’t last too long."

With Sekhukhune sending Mbule back to Masandawana, the midfielder appears to be facing a tough situation.

He will be going back to a team that has regulars like Teboho Mokoena, Marcelo Allende and Bathusi Aubaas to compete with for game time.

Coach Miguel Cardoso has never worked with Mbule before and it is to be seen how he will handle the player's disciplinary record.

Mbule is likely not to feature in Sekhukhune's last two Premier Soccer League games against Kaizer Chiefs and Golden Arrows.

Whether Sundowns will accept him back for next season is something that Masandawana fans anxiously wait to learn.