NKARENG MATSHE | Mashego's recruitment confirms Downs' return to pre-Pitso madness

There was a time when Mamelodi Sundowns recruited just about every player that a nasty joke flew around: “It’s only a matter of time before they sign Makhaya Ntini.”

Of course Sundowns recruiting cricketer Ntini was in the realm of the impossible, but the joke told of a decidedly confused administration that it could be linked with non-footballers, albeit in jest.

It was quite a sorry period in SA football, with almost every emerging talent headed to Chloorkop. What made that phase even sadder was that some of the players would be let go in a matter of months.

I vividly remember how one Diyo Sibisi was supposedly going to Ajax Cape Town from Free State Stars, only to be told to board a plane to Johannesburg instead, to complete a surprise move to Downs. A few months later he was released, and his career was never the same.

Then, rumours were abound that there were some elements in the Downs administration colluding with shady agents, manipulating prices and making a killing from such senseless transfers.

All this madness ended following the arrival of Pitso Mosimane at the club in 2012. One of Mosimane’s main demands when Patrice Motsepe convinced him to end his sabbatical, which had been enforced by his firing from Bafana Bafana, was total control of transfers.

Mosimane seemed to have got it right, and the practice of signing haphazardly was momentarily halted for most of the eight years he was there. Encouragingly, he also promoted players from the club’s development structures – such as Motjeka Madisha, Siphelele Mkhulise and Percy Tau – turning them into household names.

It was only in his last off-season, on the eve of his departure to Al-Ahly, that Mosimane made uncharacteristically wholesale signings, which included Kermit Erasmus, Peter Shalulile, Khuliso Mudau, Haashim Domingo and Mothobi Mvala, among others.

That was two years ago. But Sundowns have now added even more players, making curiously duplicate signings in some instances. The arrival this week of Terrence Mashego from Cape Town City is likely to fuel suggestions that the era of rouge signings may be back, because it makes absolutely no sense.

Mashego is a Bafana first choice leftback, but has now been added to a team who already have four players in that position.

Coach Rulani Mokwena hinted yesterday that some players will leave before next week’s transfer window slams shut, but still, nothing justifies stockpiling all top talent in one club. As Gavin Hunt said recently, this can only harm the competitiveness of the PSL, not least if you include a clause barring your loanees from playing against you.

It would be foolhardy to attribute Sundowns’ success solely to their vast financial resources, because previously, that didn’t help them in any way, hence Mosimane found them trophyless for five seasons when he joined in 2012.

Things have changed significantly now. Signing Surprise Ralani, 34, in January when you have Promise Mkhuma and Keletso Makgalwa in your books is most puzzling, no matter how you justify it with fancy English.

Mashego could well be a good signing because he’s a talented player. But Domingo, Erasmus, Lyle Lakay and Lesedi Kapinga are also good players who could be playing elsewhere. They have seen little to no action this season, as the coaches – like children in a candy store – turn to new “toys” like Marcelle Allende and Sipho Mbule.

Sundowns’ recruitment policy – if any – is now shifting to the bafflingly inexplicable. Do not fall off your chair should you hear they want to sign Kagiso Rabada!