STRIKER Cuthbert Malajila says he is relishing competition for a first team position at his new South Africa Premier Soccer Leage club Mamelodi Sundowns as the Brazilians brace up for the new Absa Premiership season which gets underway this weekend.
REPORT BY HENRY MHARA
Sundowns start their new campaign with a trip away to Rodreck Mutuma’s Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday.
The well-resourced side had a disappointing season last year when they finished 10th, prompting wealthy owner Patrice Motsepe to go into the market for new players.
Motsepe has invested more on the striking department, an area where the team came shot last term after scoring 31 goals in 30 matches.
Sundowns currently has 10 strikers on their books who include Bafana Bafana hitman Katlego Mphela, but Malajila who finished third on the scoring chat last season after scoring 12 goals for Maritzburg United, is not worried by the challenge.
“I knew what I was going into when I joined the club,” Malajila said.
“Life is all about challenges and I’m looking forward to this one. I have worked hard to get where I am today. I don’t doubt my capabilities and I will continue to work hard and try to improve. I am here to do my job, to help my teammates and help the club to succeed,” he added.
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Malajila, who has already started making some noise after scoring a brace in the team’s preseason friendly in Ghana last week, said he was settling well at his new club.
He said the presence of former Warriors captain Peter Ndlovu, who is set to be appointed the team’s manager and fellow Zimbabwean Esrom Nyandoro at the club, has helped him settle down.
“So far so good,” he said. “We are clicking well as a team; we are like one big family. I think I and all the other new guys at the club are fitting well into the system. Everyone here is looking forward to the new season and hopefully we can help the club to glory.”
In addition to Malajila, Sundowns have also brought in Rodney Ramagalela from Black Leopards and Bongani Zungu from Pretoria University as well as Dove Wome, who joined from Free State Stars.
The former Chapungu, Highlanders and Dynamos striker joins a club that already has other highly rated strikers.
Besides Mphela, Sundowns also have Richard Henyekane, Eleazar Rodgers, Emmanuel Baffour, Anthony Laffor and Edward Manqele.
