Former Mamelodi Sundowns striker, Simba Marumo, opens up to Soccer Laduma about the club's new recruit, Fiston Abdul Razak in this Supporters Club mini interview.
Soccer Laduma: Simba, what do you make of Mamelodi Sundowns' recently-signed striker, Fiston Abdul Razak in the few games he has played so far?
Simba Marumo: I have seen him play and I think he's a good player. He scored in one of the games I watched (against Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 quarterfinal) and he seems to have quality in him. I obviously haven't seen enough of him to make an accurate and informed assessment. Having said that, from what I have seen so far, I think he's a quality striker who can do well at Sundowns. He's strong, quick and a good height.
SL: Right.
SM:What makes a good striker? Good technique, good first touch and being able to get your teammates to play off you. A striker has to be the team's outlet and a player like him needs to play that role very well. You also need to be goal-hungry and always looking for an opportunity to score. Whatever happens, you've got to be lurking in and around the opposition box waiting for an opportunity. Every cross that comes in, you've got to be there to deal with it. You have to pick up any loose balls in the box, just like he did against Celtic and that's the predatory instinct that you need. The anticipation is also something very crucial for a striker, it is something that's lacking in our strikers today. You know that opportunistic eye (Filippo) Inzaghi had? Daniel "Mambush" Mudau is another great example and so is the late Bennet Masinga. They scored goals and not because they were skilful or anything like that but because they were opportunists.
SL: If there's one thing Razak needs to know about Sundowns, what would that be? How does he prepare himself for life at the star-studded club?
SM: The main thing he needs to remember is that Sundowns can afford almost any player in the world! That means competition is fierce in that club, so you always have to be on top of your game and ben consistent if you want to make it there. I mean, there have been a number of international players from across the globe at Sundowns in the last 15-20 years. The club is also comprised of mostly international players, so that means someone is always breathing down your neck for your jersey. There are also millions of people out there who would like to wear your jersey. I'm not putting him under any pressure because he wouldn't be at Sundowns if he wasn't good enough. He mustn't relax but always look to improve his game and this goes to everyone at Sundowns.
SL: Legend thanks for your time.
SM:You're welcome anytime man.
