Mamelodi Sundowns start their 2022/23 DStv Premiership campaign on Friday against Cape Town City but there are some unanswered questions that remain.
Marcelo Allende and Abdelmounaim Boutouil, their two big-money signings from Torque and SCC Mohammedia respectively – added to the arrivals of Abubker Nassir from Ethiopia Coffee have created quite the headache – but a good one to have.
Nassir joined the club in January but remained in the Betking Ethiopia Premier League on loan but the rules state on five foreigners can be registered for the league campaign.
With Peter Shalulile entering his seventh year in South Africa, there’s a chance he will be registered as a local player but Divine Lunga (Zimbabwe), Erwin Saavedra (Bolivia), Gastón Sirino (Uruguay) and Pavol Safranko (Slovakia) are the four others who were part of the squad last season.
Safranko, who still holds two years on his contract with a two-year option to extend has been linked with a move to Romanian giants FCSB, but the club’s general manager Mihai Stoica admits the deal is not feasible as they looked to sign him on a free transfer.
When asked about the situation, co-head coach Manqoba Mnqithi stated he’s unaware of the signings of Boutouil and Allende, despite both their clubs confirming the deals last month.
“Who are these foreigners coming in? Really and they are coming? I don’t know, I honestly don’t know. [Nassir], I wish he can be ours,” he said at the DStv Premiership launch.
Sirino would need another season at the club to be eligible for South African citizenship and with three players to register with two spots available but Lunga has since returned to Golden Arrows on loan for the 2022/23 season.
Meanwhile, there’s been murmurs that Saavedra, who is held in high regard, could be wrapped in cotton wool to have further work on his ankle to avoid any long-term injury issues for what was a significant investment in the January transfer window – but the chance of not being registered is slim.
Nassir has also been touted as one to potentially go out on loan but his sterling performances in training and pre-season have thrown a spanner in the works with the technical team impressed with how he’s settled into the squad and notably, his instinctive finishing.
At present, it appears that the Ethiopia international will be the one sacrificed as Safranko is among the highest earners at the club and moving him on will come with major obstacles.
