There appears to be a turn of events regarding Abubeker Nasir's reported departure from Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Ethiopian forward was believed to have left Masandawana after former head coach Rulani Mokwena's comments on Power FM.
When asked about Nasir's injury status, Mokwena stated that Nasir was no longer a Sundowns player and wouldn't discuss him.
“He is not a Sundowns player, so I don’t want to talk about Nasir because he is not a Sundowns player.”
“He is not registered as a Sundowns player. So I don’t talk about people who are not Sundowns players.”
However, it appears Nasir returned to Chloorkop ahead of the team’s trip to Austria where they’re holding the pre-season camp.
Nasir remains a Sundowns player until the club make a decision on him ahead of the start of the season.
LATEST ON FUTURE OF NASIR AT SUNDOWNS
Fekade Mamo, the president of Ethiopian Coffee which is the former club of Nasir, told Soccer Laduma that Nasir told him he would join the team when it comes back from Austria.
“Abubeker remains a Sundowns player up to this day based on what I know,” said Mamo.
“What I also know is that he will join them when they come back (from Austria) because he is already back at the club.
“I don't know what plans Sundowns have for him, but I have been in communication with Abubeker himself and he told me that he is joining them when they come back.
“If Sundowns are not interested in him, then he will have many other potential clubs that he can join.
“There are clubs in Chana, Cote d'Ivoire and Morocco that he can join.
“He is not going to be coming back to us, and I state this categorically so.”
FOREIGN QUOTA, ANOTHER ISSUE FACING SUNDOWNS
Nasir's future might also hinge on Sundowns' decisions regarding their foreign player quota.
The club currently has five foreign players on their books: Abdelmounaim Boutouil (Morocco), Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Arthur de Oliviera Sales (Brazil), Marcelo Allende (Chile), and Esquivel (Argentina).