SuperSports’ Loan Ranger gets his break
Rashford the real deal for Jose
IT was a move that passed by almost unnoticed in the hurly-burly of the transfer window but teenage SuperSport United youth product Zama Rambuwane made his bow in Europe this past weekend when he turned out for Israeli top-flight side Hapoel Ra’anana.
The 19-year-old midfielder is following in the footsteps of the likes of Terror Fanteni‚ Tsepo Masilela‚ Bevan Fransman and Dino Ndlovu to have played in the Israeli league and hopes it will be a step up on the way to bigger things.
Rambuwane is on loan for the season from Matsatsantsa and made his debut in the 0-0 draw against Hapoel Kiriat Shmone‚ coming off the bench in the second half.
Having previously had trials at top Belgian side Club Brugge and at an unnamed aide in Portugal‚ Rambuwane found it third time lucky in Israel.
But it was a frustrating weekend for two of Bafana Bafana’s star names as Andile Jali (K V Oostende‚ Belgium) and Mandla Masango (Randers‚ Denmark) were left out of the matchday squads for their sides despite playing for their country earlier in the week.
Both have expressed a desire to leave their current clubs and it looks as though their game-time may be limited until they get the chance to do so in the January transfer window.
Jali has not kicked a ball for his club since last season‚ while Masango has had a much-publicised fallout at Randers after they refused him a move last month.
Kermit Erasmus (Rennes‚ France)‚ Ayanda Patosi (Lokeren‚ Belgium) and Tokelo Rantie (Genclerbirligi‚ Turkey) all did not make it off the bench for their respective sides.
Rantie has only just moved to Turkey and also needs to find some match sharpness having not played club football since January.
Dino Ndlovu played for Azerbaijan side Qarabag in their 6-0 win over hapless AZAL‚ but did not grab a goal himself. It was a first start for the player at his new team.
Kamohelo Mokotjo turned out for Dutch side F C Twente but was on the losing side as they went down 3-1 to Heerenveen‚ while Lebogang Phiri played for Brondby in their 1-0 Danish league win over Aalborg.
The struggles for Bradley Ralani at Swedish side Helsingborg continued as they lost their fifth match in a row. Ralani missed a chance to score in a 2-0 loss to Östersunds. — TMG Digital JOSE Mourinho has revealed that Marcus Rashford will start against Feyenoord on Thursday and claimed the teenage England striker has the “big personality” some of his Manchester United teammates may lack, as the manager prepares to drop his derby flops for the Europa League tie.
The United manager also believes Claudio Bravo can continue to play a “risky” game if the Manchester City goalkeeper keeps receiving the level of protection from officials that he claims the Chilean was afforded on Saturday.
Mourinho was expected to make changes ahead of the trip to Rotterdam this week but, after accusing some players of being overwhelmed by the occasion against City, he is determined to wield the axe and give others a sustained run-out.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard will be dropped and Daley Blind and Marouane Fellaini are also likely to make way as Mourinho prepares to draft in Rashford and Ander Herrera, whose introductions at half-time against City swung the momentum United’s way, as well as Chris Smalling, Anthony Martial and possibly Juan Mata and Morgan Schneiderlin.
Asked if Rashford, who played on the left of the attack, showed that he could handle an occasion others failed to, Mourinho said: “Exactly. For me, the next big game is against Feyenoord and he [Rashford] is going to play. I trust him completely.
“I know his future will be absolutely brilliant. He is mainly a number nine but, if you want to play him in different positions, we need to improve him but his big personality is there. “[He can play as a] wide man or we play with both [him and Zlatan Ibrahimovic upfront], which we can do perfectly like we did against Hull City. I felt City had fragility on the sides and the kid could give us in the second half what we didn’t get from Micki [Mkhitaryan] and Jesse in the first half,” said Mourinho. — The Daily Telegraph