Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Mokwena lifts lid on Mashego-bound Sundowns

"Until both clubs make an official statement, Terrence is not a Sundowns player," says Mokwena.


Mamelodi Sundowns co-head coach Rhulani Mokwena has lifted the lid on the pending arrival of Terrence Mashego from Cape Town City, who is expected to be announced soon.

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Like Bongani Zungu, who was unveiled at a jam-packed Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Mashego might be introduced to the fans at the same venue this Sunday when Masandawana host AmaZulu.

While Mokwena did not deny the reports linking the 24-year-old to Downs, he was cautious about speaking about a player currently under the employ of a different club.

“Until both clubs make an official statement, Terrence is not a Sundowns player and because he is not a Sundowns player officially, I would refrain from discussing him,” said Mokwena.

“But we want the best players to be in this team and we try to recruit the best players when they become available in the market, we have an obligation to our supporters to make sure that we move in that space to make our team as competitive as it possibly can be.

“That is why we have Marcelo Allende here and we beat off a lot of good competition to get him. He has proven pedigree and he plays for his national team. Imagine the quality and the calibre of players who play for the Chilean national team,” Mokwena added.

Terrence Mashego playing against his soon-to-be new teammate, Khuliso Mudau. Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix

Sundowns will, however, have to let go of a couple of players and word has it that Kermit Erasmus is likely to return to the Mother City, while Gift Motupa is also expected to say his goodbyes to the club.

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“That is the space we are in and the biggest thing now is that when we bring in players, we also have to let go because you can’t have too many players and that is the honest truth,” said Mokwena, who is preparing his side to take on Usuthu on Sunday afternoon.

“We are trying to prepare for a difficult side. AmaZulu are a good team and have good players as we have already seen the work that has been done in the transfer window.

“Brandon Truter’s teams are always well-coached and they play differently than Swallows where he was before. They have strong midfield and they have a very narrow and aggressive front three.

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