Kickoff (Cape Town)
2 December 2008
Platinum Stars midfielder Joel Luphahla is confident of resuming his career in January when the club will hopefully register him to play.
"I have been out of action for two years and have always been patient. Having waited that long, I do not see how it will be a problem waiting for January, which is only a month away," the Zimbabwe-born player tells KickOff.com.
Luphahla reveals that he has applied for South African citizenship to enhance his chances of playing.
"I have applied for a permanent residence permit through the Department of Home Affairs so that I am registered as a local player. I remain hopeful that the application would be finalised soon," the former SuperSport United player, who has been in the PSL since the 2004/05 season, says.
Luphahla refutes recent media reports that he was unhappy with Stars' management for not registering him.
"I cannot say I am against management's decision. It is not true. We agreed amicably that I will be registered in January. The whole issue was blown out of proportion by the media and unfortunately, I was in unnecessary trouble with management, who were not pleased at all with the things I was purported to have said."
The 31-year-old, whose contract with Stars expires in June, has not taken part in any league action after sustaining a horrific injury after colliding with Jomo Cosmos' Namibian goalkeeper Abisai Shiningayamwe in a league match two seasons ago.
Upon his return from injury last season, he was not registered by Stars but was rather sacrificed for Colombian striker Luis Renteria after the team had filled its quota of foreign signings, which is still the case today.
He, however, played for Stars in the pre-season and played regularly during his country's failed bid to qualify for the African Nations Cup and 2010 Fifa World Cup that Angola and South Africa will host, respectively.
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