Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mnqgithi says Rivaldo Coetzee is technically, one of the best players he has ever coached.
Coetzee, 27, has returned to a six role after starting the season as a centre-back, filling in for Teboho Mokoena who had been dropped by Mnqgithi for the last five games.
He pulled off a masterclass in the 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs, making sure the game was played at the tempo he set, completing 65 of his 68 passes which was all over the field of play at the Calabash.
He also competed for seven of his attempted eight long balls, while providing the defensive foil for the centre-back pairing, which notably is a different role Mokoena plays as he often collects the ball from defence to drive the team forward.
“I wouldn’t really want to say anything negative about Riva, ever since he has played a six, even in the past, very good player technically, he can use both left and right [foot] comfortably,” he said when asked by iDiski Times about Coetzee’s performance.
“He reads the game very well. One of the best leaders we have in the team. He’s not often caught unaware of what is happening around him because he scans a lot. I rate him very highly as a six.
“I don’t want someone who moves a lot and opens that hole [in defence] I want someone who is a little bit stable, that’s why I prefer to play with three central midfielders so that the eights can confront whatever situation but the six is always a pivot in front of the last line.
“Tebza is a very good player, but he might also even help us as an eight because his dynamism, his ability to score, and his aggression might be even more important for us going forward. But he’s also a very good six for us.
“But make no mistake, Rivaldo technically, is one of the best players I have ever worked with, so I will always have him in my thoughts because I believe he is very good in that space. You can’t compare the two players, their profiles are very different.”
Coetzee has scored two goals with six assists in 13 games for Sundowns since his arrival from Ajax Cape Town in 2017, and has won six league titles, the Telkom Knockout, Nedbank Cup, MTN8 and African Football League.
Story by Lorenz Kohler (@Lorenz_KO).
