Mahachi to return to Sundowns

By Henry Mhara

Warriors and SuperSport midfielder Kuda Mahachi could make a return to Mamelodi Sundowns with reports from South Africa suggesting that the swap deals could be concluded during this transfer window.

Media reports yesterday showed that the two football clubs were in transfer talks and a number of players are set to go in opposite directions.

KickOff.com reported that Mahachi and his teammate Grant Kekana are set to join Sundowns, while Aubrey Ngoma and Tebogo Langerman are heading to SuperSport.

“Both SuperSport and Sundowns are engaged in negotiations with a few players, with Grant Kekana joining Mamelodi Sundowns next season. Kudakwashe Mahachi is another player that has been linked with a return to the Brazilians next season and Aubrey Ngoma and Tebogo Langerman could leave Chloorkop to join Matsatsantsa. The negotiations are now at an advanced stage,” the sports news agency quoted a source as saying.

SuperSport chief executive Stan Matthews was also quoted confirming that Kekana will be moving to their Tshwane rivals next season, while talks are ongoing regarding other players that could be swapping sides.

“There is a chance, we are meeting to discuss a few players moving in both directions next week Wednesday,” Matthews said.

However, Mahachi’s manager Gibson Mahachi yesterday said nothing official had been communicated to him.

“He is still a SuperSport United player as far as I am concerned. There are rumours about some players leaving SuperSport, but nothing has been communicated officially. We don’t know exactly what is happening at the club, but if there are negotiations going on, then we will obviously make the best decision for the player,” he said.

Mahachi joined the Brazilians from Highlanders in 2014 where he was on loan from Bantu Rovers.

The speedy winger struggled to establish himself in his first season with the Tshwane giants, making 13 appearances in the 2014/15 campaign.

He was then shipped out to Lamontville Golden Arrows on loan from Sundowns ahead of the 2015/16 season.

The 27-year-old enjoyed his football at Abafana Bes’thende where he spent three seasons.

His efforts attracted interest from Orlando Pirates, who signed him from Sundowns.

Following a stellar stint with Arrows, a lot was expected from the Warriors star when he joined the Soweto giants, but he failed to live up to expectations as he only played 19 games and scored three goals.

He was released by the Bucs and former Warriors defender Kaitano Tembo, who is the coach at SuperSport, took the player to Tswane where he has been playing well and won the MTN8 Cup with the club.

In 2018, Mahachi revealed why he failed to sparkle at Sundowns where he had arrived as hot property.

“I had fear when I joined Sundowns. I was a very young player from Zimbabwe. I had a lot of fear. I only got confidence at Arrows. That is where I got to express myself and to do well,” Mahachi said then.

“As a player, you can arrive at a team as a hot property. When you get to a new environment, you must adjust. I had that fear at Sundowns because I was playing with top players like Surprise Moriri, Teko Modise, Anthony Laffor, Elias Pelembe, you can name them. I did not expect to play with them at that time,” he explained.

“Playing with big guns like Moriri and Teko should have been motivation, but I did not believe in myself. I was young and I thought time was on my side. That was not the case because that is a big team with quality players,” he said.

At Pirates, Mahachi said he was also starstruck and overwhelmed by the occasion.

“I was given a fair chance there, but I couldn’t adjust on time and there are a lot of quality players I was competing with.

“I was registered as a foreigner and it was difficult for them to keep me because they wanted to sign other foreigners,” he said.

“They saw that I was not playing much, so they decided to release me and coach Kaitano called me to come here (at SuperSport United).

“I am happy at SuperSport now and I have adapted well here. I got here and in my first season with them, I won a trophy (MTN8). I failed to do that in other teams I played for,” Mahachi added. NewsDay