Sundowns urged to sign right-back after Mudau suffers six-month injury

Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Manqoba “Shakes” Ngwenya believes the club must return to the transfer market after Khuliso Mudau suffered a serious Achilles injury that is expected to keep him out for six months.

Mudau, a Bafana Bafana international widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in Africa, sustained a complete rupture of his Achilles tendon during Sundowns’ league match against Marumo Gallants.

The 31-year-old was taken from the pitch on a stretcher shortly before half-time. Despite the injury, he had already made a major contribution to the match, providing two assists as Sundowns went on to secure a 2-0 victory.

Ngwenya says the extent of Mudau’s injury leaves Sundowns with little choice but to strengthen their options at right-back, even though the club already has players capable of filling the position.

Thapelo Morena, Keegan Johannes and Zuko Mdunyelwa are currently competing for the role. However, Ngwenya believes replacing Mudau’s overall contribution will be particularly difficult.

“Finding a defender like him is going to be difficult for Sundowns because he is one of the best in the world,” Ngwenya told KickOff.

Mudau’s value to the team extends beyond his defensive work. His pace, confidence when facing opponents and ability to contribute to attacking moves have made him an important part of the Sundowns side.

“Mudau is always confident challenging any player when it comes to pace, confident in his style of play, and he creates goals.

“Though we have players in his position, considering the severity of the injury, Sundowns will have to sign a right-back. We all know the number of competitions Sundowns will need to participate in this season.

“Even before Mudau got injured, the club needed to sign another right-back.”

The injury comes at a demanding point for Sundowns, who are expected to compete across a number of competitions during the season. Ngwenya feels the club’s need for another specialist right-back existed before Mudau was injured, but the setback has made that requirement more urgent.

Sundowns coach Cardoso is now assessing the alternatives available to him, with Morena, Johannes and Mdunyelwa the established candidates for the position within the current squad. None, however, offers a direct replacement for Mudau’s combination of speed, confidence and attacking productivity, according to Ngwenya.

Mudau’s absence will therefore create a significant selection challenge for the club. Sundowns must decide whether their existing players can share the responsibility or whether a new signing is needed to provide greater cover during a season containing multiple competitions.

For Ngwenya, the seriousness of the injury and the demands facing Sundowns point towards a clear solution: the club should use the transfer market to bring in another right-back rather than rely solely on its current options.