Van Wyk making early impact after joining Mamelodi Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns winger Antonio Van Wyk has made the strongest start of his career since moving to the club from Austrian side SV Ried two months ago.

The 24-year-old arrived at Chloorkop without attracting major attention, with questions over whether he still had the hunger to succeed in South Africa after two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Van Wyk had joined Ried from Stellenbosch before the 2024/25 season, but his time in Austria produced only four goals and seven assists. Those figures prompted doubts over why Sundowns had decided to bring him back to the PSL.

His record at Stellenbosch offered little indication of the form he is now showing. After being promoted from the reserves in July 2021, the Cape Town-born winger scored six goals in 78 appearances for The Maroons.

Van Wyk has already matched the number of goals he scored in Austria for Sundowns, finding the net four times since his arrival.

He announced himself immediately, scoring and providing an assist on his debut as Masandawana defeated Polokwane City 3-2 after extra time in the MTN8 quarter-final in August.

His latest contribution came on Saturday, when he scored in the final minutes of stoppage time to earn Sundowns a 1-1 draw against Chippa United in a rain-affected Betway Premiership match at Buffalo City Stadium.

That goal further underlined the speed of his progress under manager Miguel Cardoso, with Van Wyk becoming an increasingly important part of the Portuguese coach’s attacking plans.

Transfermarkt records indicate that Sundowns paid about €1 million (R19 million) to sign the winger from Ried. The early returns suggest the club’s investment is beginning to produce significant results.

Sundowns have scored 19 goals in their first eight league matches, the highest total in the club’s history at this stage of a season. Van Wyk’s four goals have contributed to that record-breaking attacking output and helped him answer the doubts surrounding his move.