adminJOHANNESBURG. — Zimbabwe international midfielder Kuda Mahachi says the domestic Premiership defenders are tougher and faster than their counterparts in the South African Premiership.
Mahachi is settling at his new club, Mamelodi Sundowns, after joining the South African champions at the beginning of the year before being loaned for six months to play at local club Highlanders.
The midfielder spent some time in France, hoping to make the grade at Monaco, but after an impressive stay, the club decided against signing him because of a disagreement over the transfer fee demanded by Sundowns.
Mahachi has made five appearances for Sundowns and scored one goal for the Pretoria-based side.
The 21-year-old midfielder is battling to impress coach Pitso Mosimane to give him a permanent starting slot in the Sundowns’ team.
But Mahachi says he is not concerned about that as he expects that he will make an impression on the coach as he spends more time with the team.
“This is my first year in the PSL; I need to adjust and work hard to get into the team on a regular basis,” Mahachi says in the latest edition of KICK-OFF magazine.
Mahachi does not expect a difficult time in his mission to try and settle into the South African Premiership.
“But I don’t think settling into this League will be difficult. PSL defenders are good, but they are too slow. The pace here is not as fast as in Zimbabwe.
“In Zimbabwe the defenders are fast and also kick. Here football is more tactical.”
Zimbabwean strikers have struggled for goals, in recent years, something that could support Mahachi’s argument that the defenders in this country are very tough, with the leading goal-scorer, in the race for the Golden Boot, having scored just 12 goals after 27 league matches.
Highlanders’ bad boy, Charles Sibanda, is leading the race.
The South African forwards, though, have not fared any better.
Last season, Kaizer Chiefs’ striker Bernard Parker, won the Golden Boot after scoring just 10 goals in the league and failing to score a goal for three months during the season.
Orlando Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus came out in defence of Parker.
“He should be proud of (the 10 goals),” Erasmus told Goal. “It’s tough playing for big teams. There’s pressure and you’ve got to risk certain things on the field and do something to create the goals, which has been difficult for Chiefs this season,” he said. Erasmus highlighted that the majority of the strikers in the PSL normally set themselves a target of at least 10 goals per season, and he believes that Parker did brilliantly well to reach that mark.
Erasmus finished the season with seven goals in all competitions in his first season with the Buccaneers. —Kick-Off/Sports Reporter/Goal.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter