Shedding light on his former club’s practices, SuperSport United defender Lyle Lakay offered his perspective on Mamelodi Sundowns’ transfer policy for loaned players.
Sundowns’ loan agreements often include a strict clause preventing loaned players from featuring against their parent club in competitive matches.
Lakay joined the Tshwane giants ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, coming from the now-defunct Bloemfontein Celtic. His tenure at the club ended in the 2022/23 season.
The Bafana Bafana international played some of his best football with Masandawana, winning six titles: four DStv Premierships, one Telkom Knockout [Carling Knockout], and one Nedbank Cup.
In addition, he also won the PSL Defender of the Season award in the 2021/22 campaign. This was after a stellar season. In 41 matches in all competitions, the talented left-back scored four goals and provided nine assists.
In the next season [2022/23], he fell out of favour due to stiff competition and was sent out on loan at Cape Town City FC. After a season, he then joined SuperSport United ahead of the 2023/24 campaign on a permanent deal.
WHAT LYLE LAKAY THINKS ON SUNDOWNS POLICY ON PLAYERS ON LOAN
Lakay has spoken out against Sundowns’ loan policy. The 32-year-old argues that the restriction on loaned players facing their parent club hinders their development and opportunity to impress.
He suggested that showcasing talent against their parent club is a natural goal for players on loan, aiming for a potential return. However, Sundowns’ policy creates a barrier to this ambition.
“There is a reason for them putting that in the clause; that also happened to me when I was [at Sundowns] on loan at Cape Town City FC, if you remember,” Lakay told FARPost.
“But well, Sundowns is not the first team to do it. Many teams do it; it’s all over the world. As much as we disagree with it as players, we are affected by it.
“We also have to understand the club’s reasons for doing it. At the end of the day you are contracted to the club, you have to respect the rules. You cannot do anything about it.”
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