Belgium, Denmark calling for unhappy Rivaldo

RIVALDO COETZEE could well get his wish for a move to a bigger club after all. And it’s likely to be a European one.

Back at Ajax Cape Town after having gone AWOL in an effort to get the club to accede to offers for his services, the highly rated defender is apparently in the radar of a number of clubs.

“There is interest from clubs in Sweden And Denmark,” said his agent Mike Makaab “Also a club in Belgium is keen on him as are two other clubs locally.”

While he refused to name the clubs, Independent Media has learnt that Danish club Brondby IF as well as K.V Oostende of Belgium have made contact with Makaab regarding the player.

The local clubs that are after the Bafana Bafana defender’s signature are Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

Said Makaab of the player who was made to apologise publicly for his going absent without leave when he returned to the club: “We will sit down with Ajax next week and discuss his future. All Rivaldo is interested in is to be happy. It doesn’t matter where he is as long as he is happy.”

There can be no denying he is no longer happy at Ajax though and a move will no doubt do his career the world of good. And given Makaab’s previous deals with the two aforementioned European clubs, it might not be long before the player who boasts 22 Bafana caps and is the youngest (he debuted at 17 years) to ever don the national team jersey trades the Premiership for another league.

Should he go to Oostende, he will hook up with Bafana teammate Andile Jali as well as another of Makaab’s clients in former Kaizer Chiefs’ Zimbabwean striker Knowledge Musona.

Brondby will also not hesitate to give Coetzee a trial having previously looked Makaab’s other players in Sibusiso Vilakazi, Sifiso Myeni and Lorenzo Gordinho.

“I feel this is the right time for Rivaldo to go overseas. He is 20 (years old) and close to 30 Bafana caps. He has already played at the (Africa) Nations Cup and the Olympics and he is close to a 100 PSL matches. He is ready for Europe and he can grow there,” Makaab explained.

Coetzee still has two more seasons left on his contract with Ajax.