Can nomadic Toni Silva finally settle at Sundowns?

TONI SILVA wants to make Mamelodi Sundowns his home to end a nomadic career that has seen him travel the length and breadth of Europe without settling anywhere.

The 24-year-old from Guinea-Bissau started his career in Portugal with Benfica’s Under-19s and then went to the Liverpool juniors, but failed to graduate to the first team. This resulted in him being sent out on loan to Northampton in the fourth tier of English football, and then Barnsley in the second tier (19 minutes of play!) and Dagenham and Redbridge (4 games) in the fourth tier.

Stints in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece followed after that, and they also didn’t last that long. The three-year contract Silva signed with Sundowns would be the longest time he has spent with one team should he see the contract through as the three years he spent at Liverpool were dominated by loan spells.

“I have been moving around,” Silva said with a chuckle. “But playing in different countries and different leagues has made me get a wide range of experience. I have learned something from everywhere I have been, and that what happens when you have been all over. You grow as a person and have a worldly insight from the different cultures and different conditions that you have faced. Moving around helped me deal with everything that’s been thrown in my direction. Now I am here at Mamelodi Sundowns. I am happy to be here and I hope to stay here for a long time.”

Silva will start his chapter at Sundowns in June as the replacement of Khama Billiat who is set to leave the Brazilians at the end of this season. Silva is a skilful winger and a good finisher. Tebogo Langerman already knows him well. The Bafana Bafana leftback was twisted and turned by Silva in a friendly match against Guinea-Bissau in Durban that Bafana won 3-1 last year. Silva could also be registered in the Caf Champions League squad as the Brazilians still have three more vacant spots.

“Winning the Champions League with Sundowns is my biggest target with the club,” Silva said. “I know the club’s history and I am coming here to add a chapter into that history and win trophies.”