Prince Nxumalo was not able to vie for the Premier Soccer League Golden Boot award in the final round of matches played at the weekend as Ajax Cape Town were concerned he might have a relapse of the epilepsy episodes that have stunted his season.
Nxumalo finished the campaign on 13 goals, one behind Golden Boot winner Collins Mbesuma from Mpumalanga Black Aces, but did not get the chance to add to his tally in the 1-0 win over BidVest Wits.
He would have stood a good chance too as Ajax received a penalty in the game that was converted by Nathan Paulse.
His absence shows that while his condition is being managed by medication, it remains a concern for the future.
“His levels of medication were low and the advice from the medical team was that we do not play him,” Ajax CEO Ari Efstathiou told supersport.com. “It was obviously very disappointing for the player and disappointing for us also. Naijabet
“We check his medication levels once or twice a week and if we feel they are not sufficient then we err on the side of caution.”
Nxumalo did pick up the club’s Golden Boot prize and was also voted Players’ Player of the Season at their awards evening on Saturday.
Efstathiou refused to discuss the player’s future with the team, but did confirm that there was interest from other clubs in a number of his players, without naming them.
Nxumalo has twice suffered epileptic attacks while on the field this season, forcing a prolonged absence that also affected his chances of winning the PSL’s Golden Boot.
He started only 17 matches for Ajax this season, a little over half of their games
