Former Sundowns‚ Chiefs and Wits player eager to prove all of them wrong

07 February 2018 - 10:02 By Nick Said
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Kaizer Cheifs' striker Ryan Moon is outnumbered by Mamelodi Sundowns players during the Absa Premiership match at FNB Stadium on January 27, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kaizer Cheifs' striker Ryan Moon is outnumbered by Mamelodi Sundowns players during the Absa Premiership match at FNB Stadium on January 27, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns will have to be wary of one of their own home-grown talents when they travel to Cape Town All Stars for a Nedbank Cup Last 32 clash at the Athlone Stadium on Friday.

All Stars’ Lucky Setelele was part of the Sundowns academy‚ but failed to make the grade at Chloorkop‚ later moving to Kaizer Chiefs and BidVest Wits where he also found game-time hard to come by.

The 23-year-old has been a revelation for All Stars though this season‚ scoring eight goals in 15 starts in all competitions‚ and has the potential to be a real thorn in the side of The Brazilians.

“Lucky is one of the best strikers I have seen in a while‚” All Stars coach Brandon Truter said.

“I am sure he will want do well against Sundowns.

"He was there‚ I’m not really sure what happened.

"I haven’t spoken to the [Sundowns] coaches about him‚ his strengths and his weaknesses‚ but he is one of the best strikers in the NFD‚ that’s for sure.”

Truter says Setelele’s reputation precedes him and he is starting to get a lot of attention from other teams.

“He is marked very tightly in matches‚ maybe against Sundowns there might be an opportunity [to play a bit more freely].”

The player himself is eager to show that he is PSL quality after being rejected by Sundowns‚ Chiefs and Wits.

“I started at the Mamelodi Sundowns academy‚ the Under-17s‚” he previously told his club’s website.

“I was then promoted to the Vodacom League [ABC Motsepe League] team and played there for about three seasons.

“I later went to the Kaizer Chiefs reserve side‚ where BidVest Wits saw me and signed me for the first team.

"I didn’t get much game-time‚ but I did manage to play two CAF [Confederation Cup] games [in the 2014/15 season].

“Wits loaned me to All Stars‚ but unfortunately things didn’t work out and I went back to Wits. They then decided I should leave the club too.

“So I went to play in the ABC Motsepe League‚ I kept faith and I kept on working hard. And then my agent got me an offer to come back to All Stars. So I came back and I was made to feel welcome.

"For me I just want to play football.”

Setelele has five goals in his last nine starts‚ including in the 2-0 victory over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhadila that earned All Stars their place in the Nedbank Cup Last 32.


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