Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has confirmed that Abubeker Nasir is still a player at the club, while hinting that Erwin Saavedra could be registered as a local by virtue of naturalisation.
Sundowns currently have seven foreign players in Matías Esquivel, Marcelo Allende, Abdelmounaim Boutouil, Lucas Ribeiro, Abubeker Nasir, Divine Lunga and Arthur Sales, with only five players allowed to be registered per team.
Speaking to Robert Marawa on 947, Mngqithi has confirmed that the Ethiopian forward is still part of the Sundowns set up.
“I think so because he’s training with us,” Mngqithi said when asked if Nasir is still regarded as a Sundowns player.
“But he was not registered last year because he was injured.
“So, we wanted him to recover and build the physical side of it. Now he looks stronger but at this stage we’re still looking at him because he was out for too long.”
The former Golden Arrows mentor also strongly suggested that Saavedra could free up one foreign spot based on his assets that qualifies him as a local.
“What if Saavedra is naturalized?” Mngqithi said to Marawa.
“I just enjoy when I see these talented players boys around me doing well, because he also played in the friendly against Marumo [Gallants], he had an exceptional game and in training.
“The truth is nobody knows what Saavedra is capable of in South Africa because he got injured now and again, but believe me, there’s so much that boy is supposed to give Sundowns,” Mngqithi added.
Mngqithi further clarified how the issue of naturalisation works.
“And maybe the resources and not even the amount of time sometimes he’s been in the country,” Mngqithi further added.
“This issue of naturalisation sometimes is because of what you have in terms of assets. And if you’ve got assets that amount to a certain amount of money, which puts you in a position to say, you can survive in this country without needing our jobs or taking our jobs then there is that process.
“And there’s also five years of being in South Africa. I think Alje Schut [ex-Sundowns captain] is a case in point. The same thing happened to him. He was not in South Africa for five years, but he was naturalized based on what he had in terms of his financial freedom.”
Sundowns progressed to the MTN8 last four on Sunday and have been pitted against Stellenbosch FC in a two-legged semifinal.
