Durban — With the transfer window set to slam shut on Thursday, team’s from the South African top-flight will be looking to bolster their squads.
So far we have seen that every team in the league this season is beatable and has flaws, including defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns. A signing or two before the transfer window closes can, not only reinforce problem areas for teams, but also score them points.
One player whose name is hotly linked with a move is Lyle Lakay. The defender is tipped to join Cape Town City in what is interesting and also, somewhat, bizarre news. He was one of the best defenders in the league last season, helping Masandawana to yet another league title while also earning a recall to the Bafana Bafana squad. However, he appears to have fallen down the pecking order at Downs this season.
Kermit Erasmus is being strongly tipped to potentially join Kaizer Chiefs. Should such a move go ahead, the 32-year-old will join a rare group of players who have donned the jersey of Gauteng’s so-called “big three” namely Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns. With one year left on his contract and him seemingly past his prime, Sundowns could potentially gain some money now by selling Erasmus instead of likely losing him for free at the end of the season. However, it does remain to be seen if Chiefs and Sundowns will be able to reach an agreement over what he is worth.
Ndumiso Mabena has been linked with a shock return to Orlando Pirates. The 35-year-old previously had a five year spell on the books of Pirates before departing the club in 2014. Should the veteran return to the Soweto giants, he is likely to be a squad rotation player, while also serving as a mentor. He will also bring in a much-needed winning mentality to the club having been part of the last Pirates team to win the league more than a decade ago.
Players who could leave Pirates include Collins Makgaka, Tebogo Tlolane, Ntsako Makhubela, Terrence Dzvukamanja and, potentially, even Kwame Peprah.
Meanwhile, former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi is currently training with Swallows FC. The Nigerian has been a free-agent since he was released as part of Chiefs’ mass exodus at the end of last season.
IOL Sport