Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes that defender Rivaldo Coetzee is destined to play in Europe one day, saying that the 22-year-old is probably ‘wasting his time’ at Downs.
Coetzee moved to Chloorkop on the back of a failed move to Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic more than a year ago. He had sustained a foot injury which threatened to derail his career as he spent his first season at Downs on the sidelines.
Coetzee then made his return to the Sundowns’ first team last week as he helped guide the Brazilians to a 2-0 win over Leones Vegetarianos in Equatorial Guinea.
He followed that up with an impressive display in the Tshwane derby against SuperSport United last Sunday.
The defender’s performance against their cross-town rivals SuperSport had Mosimane raving about the former Ajax Cape Town man’s ability in the post-match presser, suggesting that it is only a matter of time until he returns to the Bafana set-up and makes the move to Europe.
‘It’s good to see him playing. It’s unbelievable that this boy hasn’t been playing football. He is Bafana Bafana material.
‘This what Bafana needs. He puts himself in the pool now. I think he can compete with Buhle [Mkhwanazi] at centre-back, and I think he can also compete with ”Tyson” [Thulani Hlatshwayo], to be honest.
‘As much as these guys are good as centre-backs, but Mosa [Lebusa] and Rivaldo are giving the option to Stuart [Baxter] to say the pool is bigger now,’ added the former Bafana coach.
‘You can see the quality, he deserves to play in Europe.
’You can see how he passes the ball between the lines. He finds Maboe, he finds Themba Zwane as easy as Ricardo Nascimento. He can pass the ball.
‘It’s a pleasure to see this 22-year-old play like that.
‘As I told you earlier, it’s sad to see this boy not playing football [more] because we invested a lot of money in this quality.
‘In my opinion he can’t play here more than the next two years. He needs to move [to Europe], but he needs to play for Bafana Bafana.
‘I think we are wasting his time,’ concluded Mosimane.
