The former PSL title winner is of the view coach Mosimane must bring in new faces to contend with all competitions
Former Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper John Tlale believes Thela Ngobeni’s move to Highlands Park will enable him to realize his true potential.
Tlale then discusses what Sundowns need in other positions on the field for a long season ahead.
The retired keeper explained the Brazilians do not need to sign another keeper because they have enough depth in their goalkeeping department.
“I think it’s a good move for Thela because he proved his worth at Free State Stars a few seasons ago, but he struggled at Sundowns to get game time,” Tlale told Goal.
“It is understandable because they have Denis Onyango and Kennedy Mweene, who are both experienced and doing well for the club.
“However, I think with age not on his side anymore, he made a good choice to move and get regular game time at Highlands. It is not guaranteed because he will have to work hard and convince the coaches. I think the move can also boost his chances to get recognition for the Bafana Bafana squad,” he added
When quizzed about whether Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane needs another keeper when he has the likes of Onyango, Mweene and Reyaad Pieterse, the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations winner responded as follows.
“I don’t think so, they don’t need another goalkeeper, the reason being that they have Onyango. You can see he is Uganda’s number one, he’s number one at Sundowns and one of the best in the continent,” continued Tlale.
“They have a number two in Mweene, and then Pieterse is definitely going to fight for the jersey as the club’s number three. I wouldn’t support a move to look for a third keeper because whoever comes in will have to wait because the goalkeeping is very different, you can’t just chop and change unless you have injuries or suspensions.”
Looking at the striking force, the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions have managed to sign Uruguayan striker Mauricio Affonso, but Tlale added they must beef up in other departments.
“I think they need to reinforce because the current squad was busy in the past two seasons playing football non-stop and the travelling might take its toll during the season,” he explained.
“They played well and won the league, the same players showed fatigue but they carried on. I think they need to refresh the squad to have depth in case of injuries.
“Bringing in fresh blood will cause healthy headaches to coach Pitso and you will remember they will have to defend the league, go to the Champions League again and there are many Cups to fight for,” he added.
“Just to conclude, I think the Sundowns supporters can still expect great things from the team. The Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe is not afraid to buy quality players and that makes Pitso’s job easy and there will be a trophy or two for Sundowns next season.”
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