Sifiso Biyela, the chairman of Richards Bay, has confirmed that striker Thabang Sibanyoni is leaving the club.

Sibanyoni joined Bay on a season-long loan from Mamelodi Sundowns at the start of the season, but the arrangement has been prematurely terminated after six months.

The 28-year-old forward, who was loaned to the University of Pretoria last season from Sundowns, featured in nine games across all competitions for Richards Bay but was unable to find the back of the net.

Sibanyoni made the move to Bay after showcasing notable skill with Tuks the previous year, where he posed a significant threat to the KwaZulu-Natal team during the Promotion/Relegation playoffs in June.

“We have decided not to extend the loan agreement with Sibanyoni,” Biyela remarked to Sportswire.

Sibanyoni’s last appearance for Bay was against Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout Cup semi-final, which ended in a 1-0 defeat at King Zwelithini Stadium under former coach Brandon Truter in November.

Since that game, he has been absent from the team’s last four matches, including their victory over Golden Arrows on December 14.

This exit follows that of Siyethemba Sithebe, whose contract was also terminated by the club due to an incident involving disrespect towards the technical staff after their recent loss to SuperSport United.

Currently, Bay finds itself second from the bottom with eight points from 11 matches, preparing to host league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday at 15:30.