Mphela headed for Naturena
The Tshwane-based soccer club Mamelodi Sundowns have lost the services of striker Katlego Mphela to their bitter rivals, Kaizer Chiefs.
Despite being in fierce contention for this season’s league title, the Tshwane-based football club, Mamelodi Sundowns, has lost one of its most influential strikers, Katlego Mphela, to their arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs.
This comes after Mphela, affectionately known as Killer, concluded a three-year pre-contract deal with the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions.
Mphela, who has been in the Brazilians’ colours since he left SuperSport United in 2008, opted to join the Soweto giants after experiencing a limited game time at the Patrice Motsepe-owned club this season.
The Brits-born striker is known for his ability to score impressive goals and will be reunited with Chiefs’ coach, Stuart Baxter, the coach that gave him his first taste of international football. Baxter gave Killer his first international debut when he was still the head coach of Bafana Bafana in 2005. Before signing with Chiefs, Mphela was also approached by the Downs’ cross-town rivals SuperSport, but the striker opted to sign with the Glamour Boys. During his days at Matsatsantsa a Pitori, Mphela scored 27 goals in 62 appearances.
Although he is still a Sundowns player until his contract expires at the end of the season in June, rumour has it that Chiefs are in discussion with the Brazilians to gain the services of the lethal striker immediately.
However, a highly-placed source at Downs revealed that the club’s management does not seem interested in letting go of the player early, fearing that he could assist Amakhosi to retain the championship. The Pitso Mosimane-coached club is also a title contender and is set to tussle against the Soweto giants for the top of the log clash at Loftus on 23 January.
siphod@rekord.co.za
