Sekhukhune United head coach Cedric Kaze has delivered his assessment of the club’s new signing, Melusi Buthelezi, following the goalkeeper’s impressive performances in the inaugural Mafori Cup on Saturday.
Babina Noko were crowned champions of the 2026 pre-season tournament after securing a 1-0 victory over Magesi FC in the final at Seshego Stadium, just outside Polokwane.
To reach the final, Sekhukhune beat Polokwane City FC 1-0 in the opening match of the competition’s semi-finals.
Buthelezi featured in both encounters and kept back-to-back clean sheets to help his new club secure the silverware.
The 28-year-old shot-stopper joined Sekhukhune recently following a three-year stint with Orlando Pirates.
His exit from the Sea Robbers came as a surprise, given that Pirates had recently triggered an option to extend his contract for the upcoming campaign. During his time with the Soweto giants, Buthelezi largely served as the backup to first-choice goalkeeper Sipho Chaine.
Across his three seasons with the Buccaneers, Buthelezi recorded 22 appearances in all competitions, keeping 12 clean sheets and conceding 14 goals.
KAZE HONEST’S ASSESSMENT OF MELUSI BUTHELEZI’S DISPLAYS AND WHY HE PLAYED IN BOTH GAMES
Speaking to the media after the tournament, Kaze explained the reasons behind giving the former Pirates shot-stopper 180 minutes of action across both fixtures.
“You know, Buthelezi is a goalkeeper who came to us two weeks ago. He is a goalkeeper who didn’t have much playing time last season,” said Kaze.
“So, it was important to try to speed up his integration and play him with different defenders and players to give him time to adapt quickly in order to get him ready for the start of the season. That’s one of the reasons why he played in both matches in the Mafori Cup, and he has done well in the two games.”
With two clean sheets and a pre-season trophy already under his belt, Buthelezi will be looking to build on this momentum as Sekhukhune finalise their preparations for the new season.
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