Reyaad Pieterse
Despite the fact that there’s serious competitions for places in the goalkeeping department at Mamelodi Sundowns, Reyaad Pieterse decided to join the defending Absa Premiership champions ahead of rival clubs where he may have featured more prominently by
The Mamelodi Sundowns gloveman reveals the reasons for joining an already star-studded goalkeeping department at Chloorkop, while outlining his hunger for success.
Put yourself in Reyaad Pieterse’s shoes: after three years as second-fiddle to Ronwen Williams at SuperSport United, you then have three offers on the table from Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City. Which club do you opt for? An obvious factor to consider would be the competition for places at each club. At Sundowns, Denis Onyango was the undisputed number one while Itumeleng Khune has been king of the Amakhosi goalposts for close to a decade. Before the late signing of unknown Dutchman Peter Leeuwenburgh, City only had Sage Stephens to rely on following Shu-aib Walters’ departure for National First Division outfit Ajax Cape Town. So, looking at the situations at each club, the answer seemed simple, right? City would have been the ideal club where Pieterse would finally get the wish he’s had for years – to play regularly. After finding himself down the pecking order at both Chiefs and SuperSport, surely making a move to a club where a greater chance of regular game-time was in the offering would make sense. Yet the situation was not that simple for the talented goalkeeper. Sometimes deciding to join a club has more to it than merely the opportunity to play more regularly. In Pieterse’s case, it was the thought of moving to the Mother City and leaving his daughter, partner and family behind in Gauteng. As a new father, Pieterse wanted to be as close as possible to his child, and so dearly wanted to be part of every single moment in her budding life. He imagined returning from training, opening the door to see the face of his little girl smiling and giggling at the sight of her father. There was, of course, the option of moving his small family to the Mother City, but it wasn’t an option he was sold on. Joining Sundowns therefore seemed his best bet ahead of a return to his former club, where his challenge now is to dislodge Onyango from his relatively comfortable seat in the Downs starting line-up. “Chiefs were interested and Cape Town City were interested – that’s what I know,” the keeper reveals. “To be honest, I did think of Cape Town City. My daughter is newly born, so that was a big factor in making my decision. I didn’t want to be away from her, so she’s one of the reasons why I stayed in Joburg. But I also stayed because I want to win trophies.” Pieterse says he has no regrets so far, based solely on the joy he has received in being present to help raise his child. “Being a father has been the best time of my life,” he beams. “It’s been absolutely amazing. I am a proud dad. It’s a lot of work, I won’t lie, but I enjoy every bit of it. I know that, in God’s will, I will one day reap the benefits of being here in her life and always wanting to be her best friend. I am taking out policies for my daughter and I am thinking about her education and her future. I don’t want her to struggle; I want to make sure she is well taken care of. We hear about a lot of footballers who don’t have anything when they
leave the game, so I don’t want that to be the case for me and my family. “So I did not think seriously about moving [to Cape Town]. My family and everyone is here. Personally I don’t think I made a mistake.”
Trophies over money
Many naturally suggest Pieterse’s choice to join Sundowns was motivated by money, yet despite the undoubtedly high salary, the goalkeeper points to the opportunity for growth and knowledge as major factors which helped sway his thinking as well. “A lot of thought goes into it because you know you are competing against top goalkeepers,” he reasons. “You then ask yourself, ‘Am I going to play? Am I going to grow in this team? Am I going to win trophies?’ “People say I joined for money, but to be honest, that’s not the reason I came here. I came here to learn. I said that when I went to Chiefs and competed with the number one goalkeeper in Africa [Khune]. I went to SuperSport and said the exact same thing. Ronwen [ Williams] is a top goalkeeper and I learnt a lot from him. Here at Sundowns I am competing with Zambia’s number one in Kennedy Mweene and Uganda’s number one in Onyango and there’s Thela [Ngobeni] as well. At the end of the day only one goalkeeper can play, but for me it’s about supporting that individual that plays and about learning and working really hard. I am really enjoying myself.” Sundowns’ desire to have Pieterse on board also convinced the player that joining the defending Absa Premiership champions was the right move. “They came and said we want you because age is on your side and you have the potential to be really good, to be one of the best, so here is your opportunity,” Pieterse says of the talks with his new employers. “So it was not a tough decision. I knew I was not going to play as regularly as I wanted, but at the end of the day I know I am going to win trophies and I know that if I do well the coach will believe in me and give me an opportunity, so it’s a win-win situation.” At 26, Pieterse has a lot of football to look forward to in his career. Goalkeepers, unlike out-field players, are fortunate to play the game until they are 40 or beyond. “Obviously I would love to be playing more,” he says. “That’s every players’ dream. I would love to fight for the number one spot and get into the national team. My career has been okay, but it could be better. I could be going to a club where I would be playing regularly, but I don’t regret any decision I have made in my
“A LOT OF THOUGHT GOES INTO IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU ARE COMPETING AGAINST TOP GOALKEEPERS.”
career – going to Chiefs, going to SuperSport and now Sundowns. I don’t regret it because I know at the end of the day I am a goalkeeper and goalkeepers mature at a later stage. There’s always room for improvement. “Competition is competition. I just have to do what I have to do. I am honest with myself and know I need to work hard.” Being a goalkeeper requires a lot of mental strength, especially when gametime is limited, and Pieterse has tons of it. The support he gets from his family also keeps him hungry for improvement. “I always tell myself I am the best. Obviously people will have their own opinions, but in my head I tell myself I am the best and that my time will come. I have a daughter and she is what keeps me going. I also have a family that really supports me, so those are the things that keep me going and keep me wanting to be better and better, on and off the field. I don’t want to be a good player only on the field, but respected off the field as well.”
Tough debut
Pieterse’s debut in the colours of Sundowns was nowhere near perfect. An entertaining clash against AmaZulu in September ended in a 3-3 draw, but he received plenty support from coach Pitso Mosimane, who played him in the following match against Golden Arrows. “The game against AmaZulu was not really the greatest debut for me, but the coach backed me and believed in me to give me a game against Arrows,” the gloveman says. “That for me says a lot about the coach and the team, that they are willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself and show your potential.” He’ll no doubt keep on improving, helped by the amount of work players at Sundowns do on match analysis. They not only have to analyse the opposition, but themselves too, which is something Pieterse believes will help further improve his game. “It’s been a change, but a change for the good because you are always learning,” he says. “I never knew there was so much to do on ourselves and the opposition. We know where we can improve and the coach wants us to watch our games so that we learn every day and grow as a team and as individuals.” Pieterse knows what it feels like to play for Bafana Bafana and is hoping to make a return in future. “That’s every player’s goal; to play in the national team,” he admits. “It all starts at training and doing your absolute best.”
“IN MY HEAD I TELL MYSELF I AM THE BEST AND THAT MY TIME WILL COME.”