Levy (centre) with Marzuki (right) and Sabah FC technical director Scott Ollerenshaw after signing a new deal on Wednesday.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s Gabonese midfielder Levy Madinda is here to stay after all.
Madinda on Wednesday had agreed to remain with Sabah FC by signing a new contract that will keep him here until the end of the current Malaysian League campaign.
In confirming the signing, team manager Marzuki Nasir explained Madinda’s previous contract was up until July 31 but it has since been extended until the end of the season with an option to be extended to May 1, 2022.
The announcement all but ended the speculations surrounding Madinda’s status with the team, which had the fans guessing after he had posted a parting message via social media platform recently.
Sabah FC, likewise, also thanked and wished the midfielder the best in its official Facebook page.
Explaining further, Marzuki revealed that they could not finalise Madinda’s contract previously, either to extend or not as he was facing family problem.
“It’s been eight months since Levy was away from his family and coincidently, his wife has undergone surgery recently.
“This is the main reason why he chose to return home and be with his wife.
“Prior to signing with Sabah FC for the 2021 Super League, Levy too was away from his family while playing in the Turkish League,” he said after witnessing Madinda signing a new deal with Sabah FC here on Wednesday.
Marzuki went on to say that Madinda’s wife was getting more stable now and the Club management also agreed to bring her to Sabah soon, which they have not been able to do earlier due to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
“We still need Levy’s services and likewise, Levy still wants to play for Sabah FC. In fact, he even travelled with the team to Kuala Terengganu in our last league outing,” added Marzuki in a statement on Wednesday.
He also said that Madinda was due to play in the Super League tie between Sabah FC and KL City FC at the Likas Stadium on Wednesday night.