The agent of Mamelodi Sundowns winger Kobamelo Kodisang has spoken to Soccer Laduma about why it was important for the player to make a move, as he signed a deal which gives him an option of permanently leaving the Tshwane giants in future.
Kodisang was with Sundowns for only a season before a decision was made for him to return to Portugal, where he has signed a season-long loan deal with AVS Futebol SAD in the Portugal Premier Division.
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The former junior international endured a difficult spell with Sundowns last season, making just 13 appearances in all competitions. Chances of him getting game time were slim, so it was best to make a move back to Portugal, where he's previously had good spells.
Kodisang made his first appearance of the season for AVS over the weekend, coming on in the final 10 minutes against Casa Pia, a game which his club lost 2-0.
"One has to always look at the circumstances. Kodisang was signed and Manqoba (Mngqithi) was the head coach. Miguel Cardoso came in and he has a different way of playing. He didn't think that Kodisang would feature in a lot of games. He's not a junior player. He is a senior player with great European experience, so I don't have to tell you that when you invest in a particular player and that particular player does not play, it's obviously your investment that's being affected. It made absolute sense for everybody involved," Makaab said to Soccer Laduma.
"We thought that the best option would be to look at the Portuguese market because that's where he has been so successful. The crazy thing is that we had three clubs that were interested in his services and the one that came up with what we believed was the right opportunity is AVS. It's a one-year loan and they have an option at a pre-agreed transfer fee to make that permanent. I've got a feeling that he is going to get a lot more game time as the weeks progress, and that's exactly what we want for him. He knows the environment well, and the environment knows him well, so it made a lot of sense for us to do the deal in Portugal, as opposed to anywhere else.
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"You must not forget that the year before he came to Sundowns, he played 31 out of 34 games for Moreirense, who finished sixth in the top flight in Portugal. A year before that, he helped them win promotion by scoring a number of goals and assists. He had two fantastic seasons for Moreirense. So, our hope is that he finds his feet again in Portugal. I think we are going to see a Kodisang that thrives."
Few players return to Sundowns after a loan spell, so Kodisang will probably be determined to make the most of his time in Portugal to get himself a deal beyond the end of June 2026, when the loan agreement expires.
