Coetzee was signed on transfer deadline day last August after his proposed move to Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic fell through when he failed a medical. Despite concerns over his foot injury, Mosimane made the call to sign the player from Ajax Cape Town.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is hopeful central defender Rivaldo Coetzee will finally make his debut for the club next season.
While Sundowns had hoped he would get to feature, Coetzee has not played at all this season. He has, instead, spent his time in the medical room.
Mosimane says Coetzee has been “bubbly” in training recently, but it’s unclear when the defender will be back on the pitch. The former Bafana Bafana coach sees Coetzee as an investment and will not rush until the player is in the right condition to get back on to the pitch.
“We have an issue with his foot. Recently he has been positive and bubbly, saying ‘coach the pain is gone lower’. We’ve invested in this 21-year-old, he has played for Bafana Bafana. What an experienced 21-year-old and he fits in the game model we use at the back. He can play at the right and he can play on the left,” Mosimane tells KickOff.com.
“He went through well-coached youth programmes at Ajax. There’s not much to do, it’s just to make him understand that here at Sundowns it’s a win at all costs. That’s the challenge with Sundowns, it’s a win at all costs.”
Mosimane recently told media that Coetzee’s situation was a rare and difficult one to deal with.
“The doctors are saying blood doesn’t flow into the area where he was injured. That makes his healing process cumbersome because when the blood is not going to where you are injured the wound will stay open. But I’m not saying he has a wound,” Mosimane was quoted as saying in City Press.
“We are consulting every day and people are saying they have never seen anything like this. Is it the first time in the world this has happened? Maybe it is a case study for the world to see what the matter is.”
Source: Kickoff
