Mamelodi Sundowns: Meet the young talents the club has signed as an investment for the future
Sundowns have clearly been building with tomorrow in mind. Since the beginning of last season alone, the club has brought in six new faces — a strong signal that they are already preparing for the next chapter.
The reason is simple: quite a few members of the current squad are approaching thirty, and some have already gone past it. With that in mind, the Tshwane giants are making sure that when the moment comes for those players to step aside, there will be ready-made replacements already waiting in the wings.
Most Mamelodi Sundowns players are over the age of 30
When you look at the outfield options, the picture becomes clear. Themba Zwane, Grant Kekana, Thapelo Morena, Mothobi Mvala, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba and Bathusi Aubaas have all crossed the thirty mark, and Iqraam Rayners will join them when he turns 31 in December. Between the posts, it's a similar story — every senior goalkeeper is 32 or older. That reality points to an obvious need: a young shot-stopper should be brought into the first team soon, so he can learn from those ahead of him.
So Sundowns have done what they always do — gone to the market in search of young talent capable of rising to the occasion when their chance comes. It's a system the club has relied on for some time now, a deliberate safeguard against being caught short once their most seasoned players move on.
There's another departure on the horizon too — Marcelo Allende is expected to move on when the season ends, which made finding the right successor a priority for Sundowns. That vacancy is one Lazola Maku, the national under-20 captain and midfielder, could fill for many years to come.