Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mnqqithi says the signing of Bathusi Aubaas has provided them with a midfielder like no other in their squad.
Aubaas, 29, joined Sundowns in August 2023 after starring with TS Galaxy where he managed to earn a place in Bafana Bafana shortly before his move to Chloorkop.
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Injuries and competition initially limited the towering midfielder to just 23 games in his debut season and while he’s yet to be a key figure in the squad, when called upon this campaign, he’s looked the part.
“We brought him to Sundowns because he has very rare physical attributes. For a player of his height to have that kind of intensity that he has, the speed he has, the engine he has, we always believed we can get a little bit more from him,” he said.
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“I’m just excited to see him performing the way he does, even against Polokwane, knowing he’d not been playing, he was training very well. But I talked to him and told him I don’t want to play you in this match but prefer the Cape Town City game.
“This is because of the intensity and I know his aggression could help us but he’s a very good footballer, a good human being as well, he was open to that and he said I know coach you will use me when the time is right.
“And when he plays the way he plays, he compliments Tebza [Mokoena] very well, it’s a formidable partnership in central midfield and you still have a Marcelo [Allende], Neo [Maema], [Spehlele] Mkhulise, you still have a Lebo [Maboe] in that space.
“It makes you feel you are most likely to have a very good midfield at any given stage, but his physical attributes are something to admire, it’s very rare.”
Aubaas was named in the 38-man preliminary Bafana Bafana squad set to face Uganda and South Sudan in the final 2025 Afrrica Cup of Nations qualifiers this month.
