Themba Zwane has lauded the qualities of Sibusiso Vilakazi following the midfielder’s exit from Mamelodi Sundowns.
The 32-year-old former Bidvest Wits man made just 11 appearances in all competitions last season and was deemed surplus to requirements by the Brazilians.
He was confirmed to have signed for TS Galaxy on Thursday.
Reflecting on his teammates’ departure, Zwane said in the Sowetan: “What I can say about Vila is that I met him while we were in the under-23 national team and he became a bother to me.
“We shared ideas. He was always pushing me and I was also pushing him. So we became brothers, but I know it is part of football and there is nothing I can do.
“Quite a nice battle when I’m against Vila. It was happening here at training, showing each other’s experience. He is a top player, that’s what I can say.”
Vilakazi joined Sundowns in 2016 from Wits and spent six highly-successful years at the Brazilians, winning five league titles, the 2016 CAF Champions League, two Nedbank Cups, Telkom KnockOut and the MTN8 titles.
In the 2013/14 season, while playing for BidVest Wits, the midfielder won the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Footballer of the Season award.