Sundowns Beat Pirates To Highly Rated Defender
Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu have agreed on terms for the transfer of defender Wandile Dube to the Chloorkop side.
Dube is currently traveling to Johannesburg to undergo his medical with Sundowns after AmaZulu head coach Arthur Zwane informed the squad of the defender’s departure.
Sportswire previously informed that Dube was set to leave Usuthu before the transfer window closed. At the time, it remained unclear whether he would join Sundowns or Orlando Pirates—with the Buccaneers having previously identified the defender as a target to replace Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
However, Sportswire can confirm that AmaZulu and Sundowns have now reached a final agreement for the signing of the highly rated left-footed defender.
“The boy has left AmaZulu to join Mamelodi Sundowns,” a reliable source revealed.
The 22-year-old leaves Usuthu without having made an appearance this season. Last term, he featured in 10 matches across all competitions, including their Nedbank Cup quarter-final defeat to Casric Stars.
While giving Dube playing time last season, Zwane urged caution against hype, specifically dismissing comparisons between Dube and Mbokazi.
The former Kaizer Chiefs winger believes drawing such parallels can be detrimental to a young player’s development.
“That’s where the problem starts,” Zwane said when asked about the Mbokazi comparisons.
“If you look at Mbokazi’s situation, it was totally different. He joined an Orlando Pirates team that was winning and full of confidence, alongside senior players like Nkosinathi Sibisi—a mainstay for both Pirates and the national team with over 200 matches under his belt. Pirates were winning cups and beating everyone at the time.
“Dube, on the other hand, was in a team undergoing a rebuild. We were trying to turn the corner while under immense pressure to deliver results. The demands, expectations, and mental toll are completely different. Mbokazi could settle easily, whereas if Dube makes mistakes during a tough spell, it puts him under pressure and causes self-doubt. That is precisely what we are trying to manage.”
Dube becomes the latest player to move between the two clubs. The last player Sundowns signed directly from AmaZulu was Argentine forward Emiliano Tade during the 2018/19 season, following Thami Sangweni’s transfer ahead of the 2012/13 campaign.
