Deano van Rooyen yet to make Sundowns debut as competition intensifies

Deano van Rooyen’s future at Mamelodi Sundowns is uncertain after the defender failed to make an official appearance since joining the club from Orlando Pirates.

The 29-year-old moved to Sundowns before the transfer window closed in September, arriving as cover for Khuliso Mudau after the right-back suffered a long-term injury.

However, the Stellenbosch-born defender has yet to play in Sundowns’ yellow and blue colours, raising questions about his prospects at Chloorkop just months after leaving Orlando Pirates.

Van Rooyen had also struggled for opportunities at the Buccaneers following the appointment of head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. His lack of playing time there eventually led him to submit a clearance request before completing his move to Sundowns.

His situation has not improved at his new club, where competition for the right-back position has become a significant obstacle.

Thabang Matuludi has established himself in the role and is enjoying a strong run of form, making it harder for Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso to select Van Rooyen in the starting line-up. Zuko Mdunyelwa is another option in the position.

Cardoso has previously said Van Rooyen’s delayed involvement is partly linked to the defender’s lack of a full pre-season before joining Sundowns. The Portuguese coach has also stressed that players will not be selected until they are ready to perform at the highest level.

“Deano is player that, when he came to us, he was with a big pause in terms of preparations,” Cardoso said.

“We understand that there are always moments of players and we always look to create conditions so that when we expose them to competition, we don’t give him an environment where they cannot excel or show good things. It’s our way of thinking about the players.”

He added: “We don’t expose our players to public environment because a football game is a public environment, an environment of performance where we don’t feel the player is ready for that, and he is arriving on that stage.”

Cardoso acknowledged that Van Rooyen’s route into the team had become more difficult because of Matuludi’s quick adaptation, although he said the situation could change.

“Obviously, as you may imagine, the competition in that position is quite high. Not only him, but there is Zuko [Mdunyelwa]. Thabang arrived and settled well quickly in the team. That obviously we didn’t know things were going to be when we brought one and the other,” he said.

“Of course, Thabang picked the pace quickly, just the moment, we never know the next moment how it will be.”

Mudau is currently completing the final stages of his rehabilitation from the Achilles tendon injury he suffered in August, but Van Rooyen remains without a competitive appearance for Sundowns.