Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane reckons returning defender Rivaldo Coetzee is still destined to play in Europe one day.
Coetzee returned to the fold in Equatorial Guinea last week, helping Sundowns to a CAF Champions League victory over Leones Vegetarianos, and delivered another impressive performances against SuperSport United in Sunday’s Tshwane Derby.
The defender spent more than a year on the sidelines amid a failed move to Europe but has slotted right back in for Sundowns, and Mosimane is also tipping him to return to the fold for Bafana Bafana.
“It’s good to see him playing. It’s unbelievable that this boy hasn’t been playing football. He is Bafana Bafana material,” Mosimane said.
“This what Bafana needs. He puts himself in the pool now. I think he can compete with Buhle [Mkhwanazi] at centre-back and I think he can also compete with ‘Tyson’ [Thulani Hlatshwayo] to be honest.
“As much as these guys are good as centre-backs, but Mosa [Lebusa] and Rivaldo are giving the option to Stuart [Baxter] to say the pool is bigger now.”
And even though a dream move to Europe did not materialise for Coetzee, Mosimane reckons it’s only a matter of time.
“You can see the quality, he deserves to play in Europe to be honest,” said the Sundowns manager.
“You can see how he passes the ball between the lines. He finds Maboe, he finds Themba Zwane as easy as Ricardo Nascimento. He can pass the ball.
“It’s a pleasure to see this 22-year-old play like that.
“As I told you earlier, it’s sad to see this boy not playing football [more] because we invested a lot of money in this quality.
“In my opinion he can’t play here more than the next two years. He needs to move [to Europe], but he needs to play for Bafana Bafana.
“I think we are wasting his time, to be honest.”
