Recently crowned Absa Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns have already started strengthening their squad by signing former Liverpool and Chelsea man Toni Silva.

The 24-year-old Guinea-Bissau international winger, who last played for Levadiakos in the Greek Superleague, has signed a three-year contract with the PSL outfit.

Speaking on his latest signing, Downs coach Pitso Mosimane said, ‘He is from Guinea-Bissau but he’s Portuguese. He played for Benfica youth‚ played for Liverpool youth‚ he played for Chelsea youth.

‘He had a good youth programme. He was playing with [Manchester City midfielder] Raheem Sterling but he has never reached his full potential.

‘He says this is it now. We got him from Greece‚ where he was playing. He had challenges there. You know the financial system in Greece‚ the economic situation there. He was never paid money and he decided he had to leave.’

Silva grew up in Portugal but was born in Guinea-Bissau. He played for the Portuguese U17 and U18 squads but made his full international debut for Guinea-Bissau when he scored on debut in a 3-2 victory over Zambia in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in 2016.

Mosimane also revealed that the Brazilians had to fight off competition from Cape Town City for Silva’s signature.

‘Cape Town City wanted him because Benni [McCarthy] knows him. But he decided to sign with us‚’ the coach said. ‘We have to revive him and make him fit. You also understand that we are losing Khama [Billiat‚ the Zimbabwe international who has not renewed his contract‚ which ends in June]. So we need to strengthen [the team].’

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