Ahead of the new season, Sundowns have begun to bolster their squad with carefully-considered recruits, while the Brazilians recently welcomed the arrival of Abubeker Nassir from Ethiopian Coffee, and he has already made an immediate impact.
Earlier this year it was already confirmed that Moroccan defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil would be joining Masandawana, while it’s also more recently been announced by Uruguayan side Montevideo City Torque that Chilean midfield sensation Marcelo Allende is set to move to the DStv Premiership champions.
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This week it was reported that Allende was on his way to South Africa to complete his deal with the Brazilians, having seemingly successfully acquired his visa.
The 23-year-old had apparently had his travel to South Africa delayed due to visa issues – but that appears to be a thing of the past as he’s expected to arrive at Chloorkop in the near future.
With Allende arriving, there has been talk that Slovakia international Pavol Šafranko may be deemed surplus to requirements due to the limit on foreign player spots.
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Coach Mokwena was asked about Allende and his imminent arrival, but hinted that patience is required as the club completes the necessary business before the window closes on 22 September.
“He (Allende) hasn’t arrived yet, but as I said the club will make announcements in due course,” the Sundowns co-coach told Thabiso Mosia on SAFMSportOn.
“It’s not only Šafranko, it’s all our foreigners. We have to allow the club to diligently work by process,” the coach added.
“Like I said there are a lot of support structures, important support structures and bigger responsibilities because our’s sometimes is just also focus on trying to win the next match.
“I’m sure the club will make the relevant announcements in due course.”
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There had previously been a waiting game to see if Nassir would be included in Sundowns’ latest squad for the new 2022-23 season, with some reports suggesting he may be loaned out to another PSL club to gain experience in the league.
Earlier this month, though, Nassir’s transfer to Sundowns was able to be made official after the player obtained his International Transfer Certificate.
Sundowns recently unveiled their new signing in an official post
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Nassir has been a prolific scorer in the Ethiopian league in the last three years, used as a central striker, although he started out on the left wing. He scored 29 goals in 23 games in the 2020-21 season, and there is a belief he could be another special addition to the Masandawana squad.
The talented youngster also represented Ethiopia at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and featured against Bafana Bafana in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
When speaking about the 22-year-old, Mokwena said he was a very difficult player to “profile” and that patience would be required, but reiterated how excited they were to welcome him to Chloorklop.
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In another recent report by SABC Sport, the arrival of Boutouil has been hindered by visa and work permit application issues.
The article stated that the club were having to make careful plans around their contingent of ‘foreign’ players.
Sundowns have also opened another foreign spot as Zimbabwe international defender Divine Lunga has headed Golden Arrows for the 2022/23 season on a loan deal.
The Premier Soccer League only allows for clubs to register five non-South African players at a time, unless they have been approved for a permanent residency permit (PRP), which importantly is now the case with Namibian superstar Peter Shalulile.
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Earlier this year it was already confirmed that Boutouil would be joining Masandawana, and with the addition of Boutouil and Nassir, Sundowns were set to have more foreign internationals on their books than the allowed amount of five, and did need to decide which handful should registered with the PSL.
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