Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi appears to have ruled out the club signing Polokwane City winger Oswin Appollis ahead of the deadline, saying he has enough players in the side and all are looking at him to play.

The 23-year-old talisman has become the most sought-after player since his return to the top-flight division after gaining promotion with Rise and Shine where they clinched the 2022/23 Motsepe Foundation Championship title. 

Appollis helped the Limpopo-based outfit to an impressive eighth-place finish in the league last season, contributing to seven goals and registering five assists in 31 appearances across all competitions, forcing his way into Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana plans. 

His standout performances attracted widespread interest from reigning Algerian champions MC Alger and Betway Premiership clubs with Kaizer Chiefs, Sundowns and Orlando Pirates understood to be among admirers. 

With the Premier Soccer League transfer window set to close on Friday, the Sundowns mentor has expressed his admiration for Appollis amid links to the club, suggesting that he wouldn’t mind having the player at Chloorkop. “I would love to get any top player, Appollis is one of the players I like, ” Mngqithi said. 

“But I think many other coaches would say the same thing. You don’t always get what you want in life, because we already have around 40 players.” 

However, despite his desire to work with the Bafana international, Mngqithi acknowledges that any potential deal won’t be straightforward, citing Tunisian giants Esperance’s failed efforts to lure him away as an example. “But it will be important to get a player like that if an opportunity avails itself, ” he said. “But I don’t think it will avail itself because I know Esperance was interested in him and they couldn’t get him, so I wouldn’t want to talk much about something immaterial for me at this stage.” 

Meanwhile, Sundowns will now shift their focus to the second leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round tie against Mbabane Swallows on Saturday (18h00), after beginning their title defense with a 2-0 win over SuperSport United on Tuesday evening.