Sekhukhune United consider striker signing before transfer deadline

Sekhukhune United coach Papi Zothwane has left the door open to signing another striker before the transfer window closes this month as Babina Noko aim to mount an unexpected challenge for the Betway Premiership title.

The club’s attacking options have been affected by delays in securing work permits for registered forwards Bethuel Muzeu and Chibuike Ohizu. Their absence at the start of the campaign forced Sekhukhune to use Brian Ndlovu in an unfamiliar role as a makeshift striker.

Zothwane, who was promoted to head coach after Cedric Kaze’s sudden departure last week, believes the squad has enough quality to compete but accepts that the club may still need to strengthen in front of goal.

“We’ve got quality players. Obviously as a technical team to see which areas are of a concern perhaps if we need a striker, someone who can finish but we’ve got Muzeu and Ohizu maybe those are positions we can look at in the future other than that I think we have a good squad to compete,” said Zothwane

Muzeu and Ohizu are now available options for Sekhukhune. Ohizu has returned from a loan spell at Siwelele last season, while Muzeu is a new arrival at the club.

The former Black Leopards striker made his full debut in Saturday night’s goalless draw against TS Galaxy. Although he was unable to score, Zothwane expects Muzeu to regain his goalscoring touch soon.

Muzeu’s arrival offers Sekhukhune another recognised forward, but the timing of his availability has limited the opportunity for the club’s attacking players to build consistency together. That has left Ndlovu carrying the responsibility of leading the line while the newcomers waited for clearance to play.

Sekhukhune’s push for an unlikely title challenge has also been tested by a difficult run against Orlando Pirates. Babina Noko lost three consecutive matches to the reigning threat, with defeats coming in both the MTN8 and the league.

Avoiding another negative result was therefore important when Sekhukhune faced TS Galaxy at Old Peter Mokaba. The draw ended that sequence of defeats, and Zothwane said the team did not need to respond by making wholesale changes.

Instead, the coach chose to retain the side’s basic principles against Galaxy, placing emphasis on the fundamentals that have helped Sekhukhune compete while the club continues to assess whether an additional striker is required.

With the transfer window closing later this month, Zothwane’s comments leave open the possibility of further movement. The club already has Muzeu and Ohizu available to improve its attacking options, but the coach has not ruled out adding a forward capable of providing greater finishing quality as Sekhukhune pursue their title ambitions.