Sundowns signings
How the PSL giants are handpicking players from across the continent, and the world
African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns are not only reaping the benefits of having been patient with coach Pitso Mosimane but, in doing so, they have stuck with a man who has shown to be just as knowledgeable and passionate about the game from the bench as he is connected with an incredible network of scouts. Bringing trophies to Chloorkop is one thing, but Mosimane has brought back their old intuitive tradition of best foreign buys. KICK OFF investigates how they managed to nab the stellar foreign cast of Leonardo Castro, Fares Hachi, Ricardo Nascimento, Bangaly Soumahoro and Yannick Zakri …
Mamelodi Sundowns’ success under Pitso Mosimane has been nothing short of amazing, as he contitinues his stay as the longest serving andan most successful coach in the historyh of the club. To remain ahead of the chasing packp though, Mosimane has chosen to not only search across nearby bordersb for new players, but has been ableab to recruit quality performers from South America, and North and West Africa. Popular belief is that the best players from north of the equator on the continent prefer Europe, just like those from South America, but Mosimane has managed to entice them down south to Chloorkop. Marksman Leonardo Castro has won the hearts of the “Yellow Nation”, flushing down all doubts that he was a vagabond spat out from several clubs in Peru, Bolivia and his home-
land of Colombia. Ricardo Nascimento, too, is building himself towards being one of the best Brazilian imports of the Premier Soccer League era. Sundowns went even further with the acquisition of the first Algerian to ply his trade in the Premier Soccer League, full-back Fares Hachi. The signing broke down long-standing shackles that kept North Africans away from Southern African leagues. And Hachi’s dazzling performances look likely to pave the way for further advances in this diplomacy. The Ivorian pair of Yannick Zakri and Bangaly Soumahoro have looked decent footballers and will both be hoping to emulate their fellow countryman Siaka Tiene, who was a smash hit during his time at Downs. But just how has Mosimane found the alchemy to entice players from so far across the globe? How was he able to bring in Castro all the way from Colombia while also convincing Nascimento, a Brazilian playing in Europe, to come to Africa? “Sundowns has always had a culture of bringing players from South America, from [Rafael] Dudamel and [Jose] Torrealba to Eduardo [Ferreira], so it is not me who started this trend. It has always been the case,” Mosimane explains. “If you are looking and you don’t find in Africa, you go to another continent, which is what we did. We had been digging deep and had proposals about other players, but it was Castro who interested us a lot and we followed him. We sent our scouts to check him, after which we brought him here and from what we saw when he trained with us, we knew that he was what we wanted.”
“THE PLUS IS THAT I AM PLAYING FOR THE AFRICAN CHAMPIONS” – ZAKRI.
“We were also following Ricardo for a while because he had the profile of a left-footed central defender that we needed since Alje Schut left. Once he became available we had to then convince him about coming here to experience something different, having mostly played in Portugal and Brazil.” Castro was part of the famous “CBD” partnership alongside Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly as he went on to finish a season with doublefigures in the goals column for the first time in his career. His first year was difficult due to the language barrier and the challenges of being without his fiancé, who was pregnant back home in Bogota. But he persevered. “People back home don’t follow football in Africa, so they don’t really know anything about how good football here is. The time that I have spent here has made me aware of this fact,” says Castro. “For me to eventually come to South Africa took a lot of research and advice from my agent [Joao Betancourt]. Now that I am playing here in the PSL, I am some kind of reference to other players who are now taking some kind of interest. As an example, I talk to them and let them know how the football in South Africa is, as well as life in general. “Playing in the CAF Champions League also opened me up to knowing a bit more about Africa. This is a continent with a difficult set up for continental club football because the conditions are not good at times; the hotels, food and travelling makes it really difficult. However, our responsibility was always to remain professional as players.” Did Castro at least get some deserved recognition back home after enjoying a wildly successful first season at Sundowns? “In South America the reality is that the media only chooses to report about those in Europe,” he says. “In my case, I have told them about this tournament [African Champions League] and how we won it. But I am still at a disadvantage with regards to being recognised back home be- cause the people in Colombia don’t have an interest in African football.” However, what would be worth noting is that The Brazilians have broken new ground by making Hachi the first Algerian to play in the PSL. Hachi was in the ES Setif team that lost to Sundowns last year in the Champions League game that was annulled due to fan misbehaviour, resulting in the Algerian club being disqualified. “We got him from Setif because they played against us,” says Mosimane of the French-born Algerian. “We liked the way he was so influential playing at left-back and it’s no surprise that he has done this well since joining us. You have to break the ice when scouting because there is always talk that north Africans don’t travel and don’t want to come here. “We had a conversation with him to find out if he would be keen to come here. I also spoke to his mother, who is in France, which made it easier. The boy grew up in Europe. We are also using Fares as a marketing
tool in North Africa in the same way that we are also using Ricardo and Castro in South America, and Zakri and Bangaly for the West African market. “All those places are influential in our football. However, that shouldn’t mean we cannot go to a place like Swaziland if there is an influential player there,” details Mosimane, who is also quick to acknowledge the challenges of recruiting afar. “It is always a challenge to some people who are not well-travelled and who don’t know geography well, and once you mention Africa, all they think of are elephants. They ask, ‘Is there football there?’ . The 2010 World Cup helped. We can tell them that they will play in World Cup stadia. We are now living in the world of the internet, so they can Google and check Sundowns matches, see the history and get to verify that what we are talking about is genuine,” he adds. For Hachi, who was signed as a free agent, the PSL has been no great shock for him. “This league has great possibilities of opening the doors for Europeanbased players and North African players. What matters most for me is that I am very happy here,” he says. “The South African league and the Algerian league are different in their characteristics, although the level is really good here. What I have learnt playing in France and Algeria will help because I always want to play football in a relaxed way. Plus, I am very happy to play with good players here at Sundowns with whom anything is possible. “In a footballer’s career there is always the possibility of living another life that is far away from the comfort of what you are used to. I have realised that here in South Africa there is everything that I need and like in life. From what I have seen so far, I strongly believe that anyone can come from just about any country in the world and play here in the PSL.” The left-footed defender adds that, in breaking the long-standing barrier that has seen North Africans shying away from the PSL, he didn’t listen to “outside voices”. “I didn’t listen to what other people said to me because I had a good feeling about coming here,” he says with conviction. “Outside voices would have confused me. So far, I have absolutely no complaints because it has gone well, the facilities are good and the football is competitive. My family has no problem with me being in South Africa, but I want to see Sundowns enjoying success while I am here.” Another man who has had to go against the tide is Zakri, who has been a top performer at ASEC Mimosas in the two years he spent there. As a celebrated star back home, the 26-year-old was expected to head to Europe. “I know a lot of the people back home were going on about me having to play in Europe,” says Zakri. “They don’t realise that what counts is making a step up and being happy where you are. I signed for Sundowns knowing very well what kind of club I was coming to. I am confident I will be achieving bigger things and making progress, which is what matters most to me right now. “The plus is that I am playing for the African champions, so anyone on the continent will definitely take notice of Sundowns. This is an influential club. “Some of the people in Ivory Coast respect my decision; it is just unfortunate that the [previous] national team coach preferred players based in Europe. However, the dream is to eventually play in Europe, but I see nothing wrong with me being in South Africa now. I know that Sundowns is good for me and I will gain all the experience that I need while I am here.”
“I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT ANYONE CAN COME FROM JUST ABOUT ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AND PLAY HERE IN THE PSL” – HACHI. (Left) Hachi became the first Algerian to sign for a South African club, and has so far impressed.