Former Bafana Bafana defender Rushine De Reuck has downplayed his impressive start at Tanzanian club Simba SC, despite netting his third goal of the season and picking up another Man of the Match award.
Rushine De Reuck found the back of the net as Simba SC defeated Tanzania Prisons 2-0 in a Tanzanian Premier League clash on Sunday.
Following the win, the Steve Barker-led side has moved to within six points of log leaders JKT Tanzania, with a significant seven matches in hand. The result also leaves them just three points adrift of bitter rivals Young Africans.
The 30-year-old former Mamelodi Sundowns star, De Reuck, has made a massive impact at Simba since his arrival at the start of the season, maintaining his form despite recent changes in the technical team. His leadership qualities have also been recognised, as he forms part of the club’s senior leadership group.
Speaking after the match, De Reuck expressed his delight at scoring but insisted his primary focus remains on collective success rather than personal accolades.
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“It’s important for defenders as well to score goals. It’s not only the responsibility of attackers, so I am happy with my contribution, but the most important thing is the team winning. So I am just happy that the team won, and I am happy with my contribution.”
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“A difficult game for us, you know. The pitch didn’t really allow us to play the way we wanted to. As you can see, during the game we really tried to stick to our identity. I am proud of the boys. Tanzania prisoners made it difficult for us, but we created a lot of opportunities, and we are very happy to secure the three points.”
Meanwhile, another South African, Neo Maema, came in as a second-half substitute during the match. The 30-year-old, who is on loan from Sundowns, has been used mostly as a substitute this season.
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