'Maseko won’t struggle at star-studded Sundowns'

Mamelodi Sundowns’ new signing Thapelo Maseko has been backed to succeed at the club following his move from Tshwane rivals SuperSport United yesterday.

Sundowns confirmed yesterday that they had acquired the services of the talented attacking midfielder from their rivals. Maseko became the club’s fourth signing after Lesiba Nku, Junior Mendieta and Lucas Ribeiro Costa.

The 20-year-old was impressive for Matsatsantsa a Pitori last season as they finished third in the DStv Premiership, featuring in 21 matches across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing two assists. He left with Sundowns for their tour of the Netherlands yesterday.

Thabo September, who coached Maseko at the SuperSport Diski Challenge team for four years before joining the first team last season, is convinced that he won't struggle at the star-studded Sundowns squad.

“He will succeed. He just needs to adjust to how things are done that side different from SuperSport,“ September told Sowetan yesterday.

“In terms of talent, they would not have taken him if he didn’t have it to succeed. I think it is just a matter of adjusting to a new environment, but I’m sure he will succeed.”

At Sundowns, Maseko will face stiff competition for a place in the starting line-up as he will be competing with Mendieta, Lebohang Maboe, Gaston Sirino and Abubeker Nassir.

But September feels this is the competition that will make him a better player. “Competition is supposed to be difficult. They want to win the Champions League. They want to go to the Club World Cup, so it has to be difficult to break into such a team,” he said.

“The ambitions are different, so I’m happy for him and I think that’s where you measure yourself when you have the best players around you, you get better.

“You can’t go down as much as we had great players, but all of them went to Sundowns, so it just says he is part of that level. It’s good, let’s hope he plays a lot of games.”

It was his impressive performances that also earned his first senior Bafana Bafana call-up for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Morocco by coach Hugo Broos last month.

“I’m not really surprised by his progress. When you get signed here in SA the biggest contract you will get is from Sundowns, if not then, you go overseas.

“Sundowns is a team that buys the best players in the country, so I would love to see him going overseas at some point. He has time and I think he is in the right club.”