Former Bafana Bafana international, Bernard Parker has claimed that Knowledge Musona’s 2011 move to Germany derailed his own European career.
Parker returned to South Africa to join Kaizer Chiefs at the same time Musona left the Soweto giants to sign for Bundesliga side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
According to Parker he was persuaded by agent Mike Makaab to return home prematurely, a move he believes was strategically linked to Makaab’s efforts to facilitate a European transfer for fellow client Knowledge Musona.
In his interview with SABC Parker, said that he realised it was a business decision.
“I realised why I was pushed to come back to play for Kaizer Chiefs, it was a business decision, because Knowledge Musona and I were represented by the same agent, and he wanted to get a move to Europe.
“After all the success at the club, I realised later on that it was a business decision, release Musona and we’ll give you Parker.”
In response, agent Mike Makaab told iDiski Times in a separate interview:
“Bernard said it was a business decision, based on what the agent wanted, because we wanted Musona to go into Europe. Then let’s clear the air. We never did the Knowledge Musona deal to Europe. It was done by Rob Moore, he did the club to club. I stepped in after the deal was done.”
Parker vs. Makaab: The Agent, The Deal, and The Alleged European Career Derailment
Bernard Parker, the former Bafana Bafana international, has made a striking claim, asserting that his premature return to South Africa to join Kaizer Chiefs in 2011 was a calculated move linked to his agent’s efforts to facilitate a European transfer for his then-teammate, Knowledge Musona. This allegation pits the respected footballer against his former representative, Mike Makaab, over a key moment in Parker’s career.
Parker’s Claim: “A Business Decision”
Parker’s return to the Soweto giants coincided precisely with Musona’s departure from Chiefs to sign for the German Bundesliga side, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Parker believes he was persuaded to cut short his own European journey—which had included a stint at Dutch club FC Twente—in a strategic manoeuvre by Makaab.
Parker said, as quoted by SABC:
“I realised why I was pushed to come back to play for Kaizer Chiefs, it was a business decision, because Knowledge Musona and I were represented by the same agent, and he wanted to get a move to Europe.”
He elaborated, suggesting a trade-off was at play between the clubs and his agent:
“After all the success at the club, I realised later on that it was a business decision… release Musona and we’ll give you Parker.”
Parker implies that his move was a pawn in a larger game, designed to open a European door for Musona while securing a high-profile return to Chiefs for himself.
Makaab’s Rebuttal: Denying the Musona Link
In a separate interview with iDiski Times, agent Mike Makaab directly addressed Parker’s account, specifically challenging the idea that he orchestrated Parker’s return to facilitate Musona’s move to Europe. Makaab’s response centered on the fact that he was not the primary agent for Musona’s European transfer.
Makaab told the publication:
“Bernard said it was a business decision, based on what the agent wanted, because we wanted Musona to go into Europe. Then let’s clear the air. We never did the Knowledge Musona deal to Europe. It was done by Rob Moore, he did the club to club. I stepped in after the deal was done.”
Makaab’s statement directly contradicts Parker’s assumption that the agent needed to “release Musona” in a quid pro quo involving Parker. By naming Rob Moore as the agent who handled the Hoffenheim deal, Makaab seeks to dismantle the alleged strategic link between the two transfers.
The contrasting accounts lay bare the complex and often murky intersection of player careers and agent business, leaving the football world to debate the true motivations behind Parker’s return to South Africa.
