Mamelodi Sundowns has distanced themselves from soccer player, Phakamani Mahlambi, who was arrested for allegedly beating his girlfriend. The former Bidvest Wits, Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns player was released on R5 000 bail yesterday by the Kempton Park Magistrates Court following his arrest on Tuesday night.

In a short statement, the club which Phakamani left in July 2022 said, "There is no Mamelodi Sundowns player currently playing for the team in the senior or development team that has been arrested."

The unemployed footballer is said to have assaulted his partner at the Edenvale home over an incident involving a microwave. A source said it was the first time he had gotten violent with his partner. "He has never hit her. He was arrested and spent a night in jail, but she wanted to withdraw the charges, but the court refused," a source told ZiMoja. Phakamani posted on his social media that he quit soccer long ago. "Ey guys, tell your journalists to leave me alone. Yaz angisadlali ngisho ibhola aybo f&*ck please ngyacele neh. (I stopped even playing football, please)."

In a previous interview, coach Gavin Hunt once adored Phakamani but said he was left disappointed accusing him of blowing R45 000 on booze with friends and called him a big disgrace and wasted talent. Hunt said he wanted to revive his career at Chippa United and SuperSport and was tipped to be one of the future Bafana Bafana players but let him down. "I was at a restaurant a couple of years ago when he just left us for Al Ahly. He had about six mates and they were having a good time," Hunt told This Is Football Africa. "I called the waiter over and I asked what's the bill there so far. He said the bill was R45 000. They were drinking Hennessy, and he was 21 years old at that time. I told the waiter to not serve any more drinks there. Where's the mentality? I've tried to speak to the boy, but it never worked." He went on to say how disappointed he was. "He is the biggest waste of talent and the biggest disgrace. We had him in our youth team (at Wits) and he played wide for coach Glen Salmon, but I always thought he was a No.9 because he was so quick. I took him into the first team, and I played him in the first game against Platinum Stars and he scored a hat-trick."