Downs swoop on Rivaldo

Deal struck but player still to agree to terms

Mamelodi Sundowns have brought in Bafana Bafana central defender Rivaldo Coetzee to freshen up their defence.

The Brazilians had agreed terms with Coetzee’s club Ajax Cape Town by late yesterday and were close to finalising personal terms with the player.

Coetzee, 20, comes in to help refresh an ageing defence with the exception of Motjeka Madisha, who’s 22 and Thendo Mukumela, 19, who has been promoted from Sundown’s Multichoice Diski Challenge team.

Sundowns’ foreign pair of Fares Hachi, 27 and Soumahoro Bangaly, 26, also still have a lot of playing years ahead of them, but the same can’t be said of their other defenders.

Wayne Arendse (32), Siyanda Zwane (32), Ricardo Nascimento (32), Thabo Nthethe (32), Tebogo Langerman (31) and Anele Ngcongca (29) are not youngsters anymore.

In fact, Nascimento – a native of Brazil – will not be registered this season because of an injury.

Coetzee’s acquisition and Mukumela’s promotion shows that head coach Pitso Mosimane is now planning for the future.

The move to Sundowns will sure bring some relief for Coetzee, who has endured a terrible time of late.

He was set for a move to Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic after they agreed terms with Ajax, but his joy was shortlived when he failed a medical due to a foot injury.

It was picked up that he had a problem with a bone in his foot and the deal fell through.

But Sundowns missed out on Cape Town City’s Lebohang Manyama as the PSL Footballer of the Year opted to sign with Turkey side Konyaspor, subject to a medical.