Footballer Thulani Cele Goes Missing on Trial in Georgia, Resurfaces After Being Arrested as Victim of a Scam

• A South African footballer player on trial in the eastern European country of Georgia has left his family worried after going missing, then being arrested
• Thulani Cele is a graduate of the Nedbank Cup Ke Yona team, and was spotted on the composite side by Amazulu
• The Ke Yona talent search team "agent" had organised the trial at Georgian first division team FC Gagra when he went off the radar

The family of Nedbank Cup Ke Yona talent search graduate Thulani Cele is becoming increasingly worried about his whereabouts in the eastern European country of Georgia following his arrest.

Cele is from Umlazi, a township located southwest of KwaZulu-Natal's largest city Durban, and was on trial with the country's top-division side FC Gagra at the time of his disappearance.

According to The Citizen, Cele, who was snapped up by AmaZulu after his performances for the Ke Yona composite side in 2021, did not make the cut at the Durban-based side.

Amazulu makes another statement signing as Dumisani Zuma joins Gabadinho Mhango at Usuthu

Football

According to IOL, his father, Bongani Cele told the SAFM in an interview on Monday:

“As a family we are very concerned about the disappearance of Thulani. He left on 4 May for trials in Georgia. On 3 June, he called to say he was coming back home but he never arrived. We then got a call from someone in Georgia saying he has been arrested. We haven’t heard from him since then.

“We are just begging the government to use any resources they have at their disposal to find my son.”

It has emerged that Cele travelled under the impression that he was going for trials at Gagra FC, but later discovered that it was an alleged scam upon arrival in Georgia, when the team stated that it did not know of any such trial.

Heartwarming moment Nigeria wonderkid fulfilled his dream of playing alongside legendary Mikel Obi

Football

According to the IOL article, Department of International Relations and Cooperation said they had only been made aware of Cele’s plight on Tuesday, adding:

“The matter was only brought to us today and we do not have an embassy in Georgia, so we would have to enlist help from the embassy in Poland to investigate the circumstances around the arrest of the player.”

Ex Amazulu goalkeeper Siya Mbatha rubbishes rumours that he is a male prostitute

The family of Nedbank Cup Ke Yona talent search graduate Thulani Cele is becoming increasingly worried about his whereabouts in the eastern European country of Georgia following his arrest.

As reported by Sports Brief, Cele is from Umlazi, a township located southwest of KwaZulu-Natal's largest city Durban, and was on trial with the country's top-division side FC Gagra at the time of his disappearance.

It has emerged that Cele travelled under the impression that he was going for trials at Gagra FC, but later discovered that it was an alleged scam upon arrival in Georgia, when the team stated that it did not know of any such trial.