Thendo Mukumela has played as a defender, midfielder and striker in his career, but now a transfer ban at Black Leopards is forcing him to step into a whole new space - as a goalkeeper.
Blessed with an ability to excel in different positions, Mukumela is proving to be a jack of all trades by standing in as a goalkeeper while Leopards try to sort out an issue of a transfer ban, which has denied them the ability to register their new shot-stoppers, including former Sekhukhune United and Chippa United player Lloyd Kazapua.
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Leopards bought the second-tier status of All Stars in 2023 and have inherited a problem that has led to a transfer ban. Leopards are trying to get the issue resolved and will be working tirelessly to ensure they have goalkeepers available after the FIFA break in about two weeks.
In the absence of a recognised goalkeeper, Mukumela has stepped up as a leader in the team to take on the role, and he rose to the occasion against University of Pretoria in a 2-2 draw this past weekend. He was not shy to come off his line at times during set-pieces to clear the ball to safety.
Mukumela, a former Mamelodi Sundowns development player, featured as a goalkeeper on the opening weekend of the season against Casric Stars, where Leopards could only field 10 players.
Speaking to Soccer Laduma after Leopards' draw with AmaTuks, Lidoda Duvha head coach Joel Masutha spoke about how impressed he has been with Mukumela's performances so far as a goalkeeper.
"When you are young in the amateur ranks in Venda, you can play in many positions. He did that at a young age in the villages. So, when the situation arose that we may not have anyone in goals, he raised his hand to play there. We gave him the support and we told him that nobody is going to blame him. I am seeing some great saves from him. I am happy," Masutha said to Soccer Laduma.
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"He trained as a goalkeeper for two days (before the match against AmaTuks). In the previous match (against Casric), he didn't train as a goalkeeper. He only volunteered right there at the stadium. We have to commend him for that. Not everyone can do that. He never made one mistake today (against AmaTuks). It's going to keep our normal goalkeepers on their toes."
After the international break, Leopards host Upington City at Thohoyandou Stadium on September 13.
