Sundowns Announce Five Departures

Mamelodi Sundowns has announced the departure of five players, including the troubled midfielder Sipho Mbule, who recently signed with Orlando Pirates.

Player Departures

Following Mbule’s exit is Lucas Suarez, who was on loan from Talleres de Córdoba in Argentina. The 30-year-old defender was not part of the Sundowns squad that traveled to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Suarez featured in 13 matches across all competitions but made several crucial errors that led to significant goals against the team. These included goals conceded in the league match loss to Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium and the Nedbank Cup semi-final against Kaizer Chiefs.

Sifiso Ngobeni has also left Sundowns. He spent last season on loan at AmaZulu, who sent him back to Sundowns at the end of the season. Ngobeni joined Sundowns at the start of the 2021/22 season from Bloemfontein Celtic but struggled to establish himself within the squad. Sundowns had also previously loaned him to SuperSport United.

Goalkeeper Sanele Tshabalala, whom Sundowns signed from Moroka Swallows, has also been shown the door.

Thabang Sibanyoni has also departed the club, after being loaned out twice last season to Richards Bay and Magesi FC. At Richards Bay, his loan spell was cut short due to off-field issues, which led to his move to Magesi in the second half of last season.

He was an important player for Magesi under coach Owen da Gama, contributing to the club’s survival before da Gama’s departure from the Limpopo side. Sibanyoni, a graduate of the club’s academy, never played a single match for Sundowns.

The 29-year-old has also had previous loan spells at SuperSport, Sekhukhune United, University of Pretoria, and JDR Stars.

These player departures follow the release of Lebohang Maboe and Rivaldo Coetzee on Sunday, whose contracts were not renewed by Sundowns.