Former AmaZulu player Thulani Cele has “disappeared” after a scam trial following his dream to Europe.
According to his family, the 22-year-old Mamelodi Sundowns academy graduate hasn’t been heard from since June 3 after he told them that he was returning home.
The trouble began when the KZN player travelled to the central European country of Georgia for an apparent trial with Gagra FC in Tbilisi, set up by a man only named as Baggio.
Cele had paid for accommodation through Baggio, but he ran into trouble with his hotel after it was revealed that no payments were made.
"As a family we are very concerned about the disappearance of Thulani Cele. He left on 4 May for trials in Georgia. On 3 June he called to say he's coming back but he didn't. We got a call from someone in Georgia to say he's been arrested. We haven't heard from him since "- https://t.co/HYeDRKrTKB
— Tracksuit (@ThabisoMosia) June 20, 2022
Then his grandmother got a phone call saying he had been “detained” and he has not been heard from again.
His father Bongani Shongwe tells SAFM: “We’ve tried it to get a hold of someone from International Affairs named Mr Brown and he asked us to send his details but also told us it would be difficult because there isn’t a South African embassy in Georgia.
“We are just begging the government to use any resource he has at his disposal to find my son.”
SA diplomats in Poland to probe soccer player Thulani Cele’s arrest in Georgia https://t.co/oqBVjkc7V2
— IOL Sport (@IOLsport) June 21, 2022