Mamelodi Sundowns loanee Terrence Mashego has opened up on why he believes moving away from the star-studded Masandawana squad was the right call following Durban City FC’s historic Nedbank Cup triumph.
Mashego joined the KwaZulu-Natal outfit at the start of the 2025/26 campaign on a season-long loan deal from Masandawana.
The move came from a desire for regular football after the talented left-back struggled to find game time at Bafana Ba Style.
The 29-year-old joined the Brazilians in September 2022 from Cape Town City FC, but injuries and stiff competition limited his impact. In the 2024/25 season, Mashego played just 13 games across all competitions. Overall, he featured 45 times for Sundowns, scoring once, before deciding it was time to rejuvenate his career elsewhere.
Mashego has been a regular for Durban City this season, having made 25 appearances in all competitions. His presence was vital on Saturday night as the Pitso Dladla-coached side edged TS Galaxy 2-1 at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane to lift the 2026 Nedbank Cup trophy.
‘I THINK IT WAS A GREAT DECISION’ – TERRENCE MASHEGO
Reflecting on the victory and his personal journey, Mashego emphasised that his hunger for silverware remains undiminished.
“This is a great achievement. You know, as a player, you want to make sure you collect as many trophies as possible,” Mashego said. “This is a very special accolade. When I retire, I want to look back at many trophies.
“I was the one who initiated the move because I had a conversation with [Sundowns’ sporting director] Flemming Berg. I told him about my situation and what I want as a player. You know, when you don’t play sometimes, it’s very difficult.
“We had a conversation, and he told me Durban City was interested. For me, I said I don’t mind as long as I will play whenever I can. So, I think it was a great decision. As a player, when you are not playing, it’s frustrating. For me to get game time and also to make people like Darren Keet happy, it was very important.”
TERRENCE MASHEGO ON REUNITING WITH FAMILIAR FACES
A key factor in Mashego choosing Durban City was the ambition shown by the chairman of the club, Farook Kadodia, and the presence of former teammates.
“When the chairman called me, he told me about the squad and his goals. I then saw that they have great players, especially the players I played with at Cape Town City [Thabo Nodada and Keet], and I saw an opportunity,” Mashego concluded.
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