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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE international striker Roderick Mutuma faces an uncertain future in the Absa Premiership amid indications that his club Bloemfontein Celtic are mulling terminating his contract after the lanky forward fell out of favour with coach Ernst Middendorp.
Mutuma has seen very little action since Middendorp took over as Celtic coach on October 11 last year, with the German replacing Clinton Larsen who joined Maritzburg United days after being axed by Siwelele.

Sources close to the goings-on at Celtic revealed yesterday that the gaffer had recommended that the player be released from his contract on “mutual grounds’’.
“As far as the coach is concerned, Mutuma has under-performed and the coach has not included him in his plans and wants the contract to be terminated by mutual consent,’’ the sources said.

Mutuma has had a frustrating season at Celtic who are currently placed eighth with 36 points from 25 matches managing just two goals in his limited appearances for the club this term.

The 25-year-old self- styled “Prince of Football’’ has also been linked with a return to his former club Dynamos if he fails to attract any interest from other teams in the Absa Premiership in the off-season.

Given that Mutuma would be a free agent, it also means he could return to DeMbare any time outside of the transfer window which closed on March 28 and will reopen on July 1.

But Mutuma, speaking from his base in Bloemfontein, insisted yesterday that he was still a Celtic player and felt he still had much to offer to the club. Mutuma, however, told The Herald of his frustrations at falling out of favour with Middendorp and spoke of his desire to return to action.

“For now I am still here and I am still a Celtic player. Of course, we are not in good books with the coach, he doesn’t seem to appreciate me but there is nothing that I can do.

“The coach is the one who has the decision to either play me or not and we all have to respect that. I was beginning to enjoy my game at Celtic but then things changed when the new coach arrived.

“As far as I am concerned I have been doing well at training, working hard and even the fans still like me but somehow I am not getting selected.
“I am still young and I still need to play more regularly but that it is not happening and you feel you cannot stay where you are not wanted,’’ Mutuma said.

Mutuma, however, said his possible destiny would be decided at the conclusion of talks between his manager Edzai Kasinauyo and Bloemfontein Celtic.
Kasinauyo, who is understood to have travelled to South Africa yesterday, could not be reached for comment.

But if precedence is anything to go by then Mutuma could join the likes of Oscar Machapa, Simba Sithole, Obadiah Tarumbwa and Tafadzwa Rusike who have had to return home to try and revive their careers after struggling in the South African Premiership.

Machapa, Sithole and Rusike are at DeMbare while Tarumbwa is with Premiership returnees Bantu Rovers.
Former Aces Youth Academy and FC Platinum defender Lincoln Zvasiya has also returned home to try and re-ignite a career that has taken him to Kaizer Chiefs and Greece.

Meanwhile AmaZulu goalkeeper and former Warriors skipper, Tapuwa Kapini, may have to go under the knife to treat a neck injury, according to Usuthu manager Craig Rosslee.

Kapini has not played since sustaining the knock in a 2-0 home defeat by Sundowns on March 9, with Philani Zikalala subsequently doing duty in his place.
“At the moment it’s not good for him [Kapini] because we have to see what the situation is with his neck after the two weeks,” Rosslee told his club’s official website.
“If it’s more serious than anticipated then he will be out for quite some time and might need an operation.”