Fans of Orlando Pirates will have a special interest in Masindi Nemtajela’s role this weekend.
On Saturday at 15:30, the Buccaneers take on Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld.
MASINDI NEMTAJELA SPARKLES IN NEW ROLE FOR ORLANDO PIRATES
The 23-year-old from Chiawelo, Soweto, was placed in an unfamiliar deeper midfield role during the 2-1 Carling Knockout win over Magesi FC on Tuesday.
With Sihle Nduli ruled out through injury, Nemtajela was asked to drop behind debutant Camren Dansen, and he absolutely delivered as he walked away with the Man of the Match gong.
“With my performance, it was just about dedication. So, I’m happy with my performance,” Nemtajela told SuperSport TV.
“Yes, the coach set us up like that, because obviously Mr Nduli is injured. So, they placed me in that position and told me to look after Dansen. So, that’s why today I was playing deeper,” the Orlando Pirates star added.
The former Marumo Gallants star’s swift rise earned immediate notice. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos named him in the preliminary squad for next month’s friendly against Zambia.
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who first met him at Gallants, knows exactly what Nemtajela can deliver on the grass:
“Masindi, I know him for a long time because I was his coach at my previous club,” Ouaddou had said after his Man of the Match debut performance against TS Galaxy. “He’s a fantastic player. We asked him to be patient, and his time came, and he showed it with a fantastic performance,” the French-Moroccan coach added.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS IN THE BETWAY PREMIERSHIP
In the meantime, it remains to be seen if Nemtajela will once again play as a number six against Kabo Yellow at the Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 15:30.