Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker has confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke, while he also responded to rumours linking Junior Mendieta and Sibonginesi Mthethwa with departures.
Masuluke, 30, has been signed from Baroka on a three-year-deal, as reported by iDiski Times.
While the club are yet to officially announce the deal, Barker confirmed that they have added the 2017 FIFA Puskas award nominee to their squad.
“I think it’s a situation, it is true yes [we signed him], it’s again just ensuring that we have good progression in years to come,”
“Lee Langeveldt is a superb goalkeeper, he remains a superb goalkeeper, again he showed it today.
“But he is getting older and he will stay with the club going beyond this season and the next, in a different type of capacity. So it’s just long-term planning and it’s always good to have the depth, especially in the goalkeeping department.”
With Stellenbosch finishing in sixth place and having a brilliant run to the Nedbank Cup semi-final, where they were knocked out by Sekhukhune United on penalties after eliminating defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the previous round, several of the club’s standout players have cast interest by the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, Barker insisted they are not keen on parting with the likes of Mendieta and Mthethwa, who have been linked with moves up north.
“It’s just media reports,” he said when asked about the duo.
“It’s not easy to say but nothing has been set or formalised or anything like that.
“As I said before, our aim is to keep our best players. We also want to progress as a club. We were a penalty-shootout away from a semi-final in the MTN8, a penalty-shootout away from a final in the Nedbank Cup, sixth in the league.
“It’s time for us… It was a new cycle that we went into, we released a lot of experienced, quality players at the end of last season and the plan has always been that this next three-year cycle to maintain our squad and that we can then push on further.”
