Owen Da Gama believes a Mamelodi Sundowns loanee is determined to show his parent club what he’s capable of, citing the player’s strong performances in his last two appearances at Magesi FC.
Da Gama was speaking in a post-match interview with journalists following their 1-0 victory over Polokwane City FC at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Tuesday night.
Magesi have now collected 14 points after 17 matches. Dikwena Tsa Meetse are now six points ahead of Royal AM, who are placed at the bottom [16th place] of the table.
The player that Da Gama is referring to is none other than Thabang Sibanyoni, who joined Magesi during the PSL‘s January transfer window from Richards Bay FC on a loan deal for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
Since his arrival at Magesi, Sibanyoni has featured in three games across all competitions. In fact, the 29-year-old was on the scoresheet when the Da Gama-coached side defeated Polokwane City FC 1-0 in a Betway Premiership tie.
To put the cherry on top, Sibanyoni walked away with the Man of the Match accolade for his stellar performance against Rise and Shine.
Having been promoted to Masandawana’s first team in June 2019 from the reserve side, the talented goal-scorer has been sent out on loan to teams such as JDR Stars, Sekhukhune United, AmaTuks, SuperSport United, Richards Bay, and most recently, Magesi.
‘IT’S NOT THE NICEST THING TO HAPPEN TO A PLAYER’, SAYS DA GAMA
Da Gama mentioned that being sent out on loans like Sibanyoni is not the most pleasant experience as it might impact the player’s career.
He went on to say that they have been encouraging him to do better and he has proven that he has a point to prove to his parent club that he’s fit to play for any team in Mzansi.
“It’s actually a blessing in disguise. I mean, Wonderboy Makhubu is our top goal-scorer, and he has been doing well. Now, he has got a long-term injury. So, we are happy we could get somebody [Thabang Sibanyoni] who can come in and impact the game immediately,” said Da Gama.
“We are grateful that Sibanyoni has been working hard. I think another thing is the psychology within the game, and that Sibanyoni has got a point to prove. We are encouraging him to prove that point. We have been behind him and pushing him very hard. This is the combination of the hard work that he has been putting in.
“He’s obviously a Sundowns player, and he has been loaned out here and there to various clubs. It’s not the nicest thing to happen to a player, to be honest.
“I have seen players’ careers go down the drain. But I think he really wants to pull himself together and prove a point that he’s good enough to play at any team in South Africa.”
RELATED STORY: Thabang Sibanyoni’s situation explained after Sundowns contract renewal
