After it was revealed that Mamelodi Sundowns have opened talks with Ajax Cape Town for the transfer of their promising central defender, Rivaldo Coetzee, we take a look at whether, should he make the move, the Bafana Bafana defender will be able to build a legacy at the Brazilians.
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In Soccer Laduma issue number 1023, it was revealed that Sundowns have officially opened talks with the Urban Warriors over the signing of their highly rated defender and with Wayne Arendse, Ricardo Nascimento and Thabo Nthethe all on the wrong side of 30, the 20-year-old would have the opportunity to build a legacy for himself at the heart of Sundowns' defence.
Sundowns have conceded the least amount of goals this season and have no pressing issues with their defence, but the number of ageing players at the back means that Pitso Mosimane will be looking to bring in somebody for the long term. So, comparing Coetzee to Wayne Arendse, for example, would ultimately give an indication of whether he has what it takes to fit the bill with the Brazilians.
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Taking a look at tackling, Coetzee falls behind Arendse in terms of tackles per game with 0,6 compared to the veteran's 1,0. However, Coetzee has made 0,3 interceptions per game, compared to Arendse's 0. Both players are tied in terms of blocks per game (1,5) and Coetzee's 11,9 clearances per game makes for far better reading than Arendse's 10,2.
However, the one area where Coetzee truly excels is with the ball at his feet. The promising star has taken more touches per 90 minutes (47,7) and made more passes per 90 minutes (54,4) than any of his Ajax teammates. The man that is regarded as the ball-playing defender at Sundowns, Ricardo Nascimento, by contrast, makes 55,8 passes per 90 minutes and takes 64,3 touches per game.
This goes to show that, although Coetzee falls short of improving the current Sundowns defenders in every category, he has been able to come close to them across the board, while playing for a team that sits six places below them in the league standings. Considering his age and that he has shown himself to be a complete defender, it's no wonder that the Kakamas-born defender is regarded as one of the most promising players in his position in the league. It should come as no surprise if Pitso Mosimane considers him to be the man to lead his defensive line, build his legacy at the Brazilians and win even more silverware at Chloorkop.
