SPORT: Rantie signs for Downs

Mamelodi Sundowns has signed former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana striker Tokelo Rantie on a three-year contract.

Rantie, who celebrated his 29th birthday earlier this week, will boost coach Pitso Mosimane’s attacking options this season, in their bid for win the ABSA Premiership title three seasons in a row.

The Free State-born forward joined Bournemouth in the English Premier League six years ago for a reported club-record fee from Swedish outfit Malmo.

Since leaving Europe in 2018, Rantie joined Cape Town City but never played due to fitness issues and became a free agent in December last year. He was without a club until Pitso Mosimane called him to join the Downs camp in July.

Mosimane has been a huge fan of Rantie since his Pirates’ days. Recently, the 55-year-old mentor stressed that the national team didn’t have any clinical striker.

“Who is our striker in Bafana and we are going to Afcon? It’s Percy, Lebo and who else? And Percy is a winger and I played him as a No 9 because he’s brave and he runs. Maybe we could say Tokelo Rantie but he’s not there. We have to scratch and scratch,” Mosimane told Citizen newspaper.

Rantie will look to hit the ground running and show his prowess in front of goal as he did in the Bafana Bafana shirt scoring 12 goals in 40 appearances since making his debut against Gabon at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit in 2012.

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He was part of Bafana’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations squad in Equatorial Guinea under coach Shakes Mashaba.

Since signing Rantie, Sundowns have released two forwards, George Lebese and Jeremy Brockie.

Lebese’s contract was terminated last week, while Brockie has joined Martizburg United on a season-long loan.

Sundowns face Cote d’Or of Seychelles in the first leg of the CAF Champions League on Saturday.

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