Neo Maema has confirmed that he is only on loan at Simba SC and he has not permanently departed from Mamelodi Sundowns.
Maema joined the Tanzanian giants alongside fellow South African Rushing De Reuck, with both being signed when Fadlu Davids was still at the helm of Simba.
However, Davids soon left to join Raja Club Athletic, while Maema and De Reuck have stayed on at Simba, where they are now coached by Steve Barker.
Maema now addressed his Sundowns exit for the first time, saying he knew for a while already that his time at Masandawana was up.
“Leaving Sundowns it wasn’t a decision I took just after the Club World Cup,” he told Andile Ncube on Sports Night Amplified with Andile.
“I think it’s been two years thinking about the decision because I could see that, I’m a person that when your time is up don’t wait for it to be up.
“I could feel it, I saw when I got to the club… I could see my time is up. But I prayed for it, because I’m a very playful person. I also spoke to my family and stuff – ‘I just feel like my time is up’.
“It’s not that I wanted to leave but I just needed a different scene, I’m 30 years old now. Some things I want to experience as a man, not just a footballer so that in future I become a person that has a lot of experiences, not only locally but also outside the country.
“I fought for four years, when I was playing I was happy. When I left the club, we are good, me and the club.”
Maema then also confirmed that he has only joined Simba on loan – as previously reported by this publication – with his current deal running out in June but Sundowns still holding an option to extend his contract.
“I haven’t spoken to the club directly about any other team. I heard from my agent that there is a team that is very interested, how does it go,” he added.
“Because a lot of people are not aware that for me to come Tanzania was very difficult because I had to negotiate with the club and I told them this is where I want to go – not locally and I had to leave.
“What people don’t know is that I’m actually on loan, I still have to go back and hear what they have to say.
“I think after this one I have two options, either they’re going to trigger, maybe we part ways. I’m hoping that they make the decision.”
