Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has hailed the leadership qualities of Tiyani Mabunda, saying that he is a future captain.

Mabunda, who received a call-up to Stuart Baxter’s Bafana Bafana squad to face Nigeria in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, donned the armband in the absence of Hlompho Kekana in the Telkom Knockout defeat to Baroka.

Mabunda’s playing time this year has been impacted by the arrival of Andile Jali, but despite his somewhat reduced role, Mosimane believes he has the qualities of a future captain, although he will face competition for the armband.

‘He’s got leadership qualities, he’s a good boy and he looks after himself off the pitch,’ Mosimane told the media after their defeat to Bakgaga.

‘Whenever he plays, he gives the best. Those are leadership qualities. But at Sundowns you have a lot of captains. Mosa Lebusa was a captain at Ajax [Cape Town]. Kennedy Mweene is the captain of Zambia, Denis Onyango is the captain for Uganda. Wayne Arendse was a captain at Santos.

‘Mabunda deserves the armband also for the future. But now there’s Kekana.’

Sundowns will be back in action when they face Free State Stars at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday night, although Kekana is expected to return to the team and reclaim the armband.

Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix