MAMELODI SUNDOWNS attacking midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi is heading for his much talked about trials with French club AS Monaco next month after the Fifa World Cup, the South African side has confirmed. FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER
Mahachi signed for the Brazilians in January and is yet to join the Absa Premier Soccer League champions, who loaned him to Highlanders.
Sundowns’ communications co-ordinator Thulani Thuswa yesterday confirmed to South Africa media that the nimble left-footed Mahachi will be going to France after the World Cup.
“The trial has been set for after the World Cup when the pre-season kicks off. Mahachi is a good player and we all know that it shouldn’t take more than a week before they make a decision,” Thuswa told KickOff.
The World Cup starts tomorrow with the opening match featuring hosts Brazil and Croatia, and will end on July 13.
Mahachi will play against Triangle this weekend before next Sunday’s big match against Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. His last game would likely be at home against Black Rhinos in Week 13.
If he does not leave by June 23, he will feature in two more matches against How Mine and Bantu Rovers.
Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said they met with Sundowns manager Peter Ndlovu last week, who sought an update on Mahachi’s ankle injury.
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Mahachi sustained the injury at training with Sundowns when the South African side went on an end-of-season tour in Namibia for the inaugural Dr Hage Geingob Cup on Africa Day.
“We met with Peter Ndlovu on Thursday and he wanted to find out how their player Mahachi was responding to the ankle injury. He advised us that if there was anything serious, we should not hesitate to refer the player to Sundowns. He (Ndlovu) said Sundowns have already established a relationship with Highlanders after their tour of Zimbabwe last year and he was actually magnanimous saying we should use their facilities and if there were any players seriously injured and need attention that side, we should not hesitate to approach them,” Gumede said.
Mahachi played for Bosso on Sunday in the 1-1 draw against FC Platinum.
Meanwhile, with the Absa PSL clubs starting their pre-season training on June 23 for the 2014 to 2015 season, Gumede said there had been no communication from the clubs regarding Bosso players that had reportedly signed with South African clubs.
Attacking midfielder Milton Ncube penned a two-year contract with Ajax Cape Town in January during the African Nations Championship tournament while Mpumalanga Black Aces confirmed signing midfielder Peter “Rio” Moyo on a long-term contract.
Gumede yesterday said he was not aware when the players would be leaving.
“As we speak, there has been no communication from the South African clubs on those players. Nothing! We only read it in the newspapers and we don’t know where you get it from,” Gumede said.
Moyo, nursing an ankle injury sustained in Bosso’s league match against Buffaloes on May 25, missed the Warriors-Tanzania Africa Cup of Nations game and was ruled out of the league match against FC Platinum on Sunday.
