With Tanzanian side Simba SC reportedly closing in on Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Neo Maema, Bafana Bafana legend Katlego Mphela believes it would have been wiser for the former Bloemfontein Celtic midfielder to stay at Chloorkop instead.
Mphela believes Maema still has a place at Sundowns and can contribute to the team, but that he just needs to fight and compete.
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Speaking to Soccer Laduma in an exclusive interview, Mphela said that a team like Sundowns needs a player like Maema and that a player like Maema should cement his place both at Sundowns and for the South Africa national team.
Maema is currently with the South Africa squad preparing for CHAN 2025.
"As much as the player wants to move and go somewhere, I would advise him to stay and fight for his place at Sundowns. He is a different player from the ones Sundowns have in that midfield, and he brings something different. I would say the same I said about Rivaldo Coetzee. I don't think moving to Tanzania is a good move. If it was North Africa or even another club in the PSL, I could have encouraged that. Not Tanzania. He should rather stay at Sundowns and fight for his place," Mphela told Soccer Laduma.
Meanwhile, Mphela encouraged the midfielder to do his best during the CHAN competition so that other clubs can recognise his higher value.
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"It's good that he is representing the country with Bafana Bafana at the CHAN tournament. That's where he can show other clubs in South Africa what he is capable of doing and they could sign him. But if it happens that he joins Simba in Tanzania then he should also use that as a stepping stone for his next move to a much bigger team and league," Mphela advised.
Maema joined the Brazilians in 2021 from Bloemfontein Celtic, and the 29-year-old was a regular in his first two seasons at Chloorkop, playing most of the games in each season. But from last season, he featured less and is now looking to increase his game time.
