The decline of Mamelodi Sundowns keeper Reyaad Pieterse

From strongly challenging Khune to an almost entirely watching brief at Sundowns, Reyaad Pieterse’s career has nose-dived in recent seasons.

When Pitso Mosimane’s Mamelodi Sundowns team took on lower-league opposition in the Nedbank Cup on Sunday, some little-used squad players made an appearance and were handed the platform to stake their claim for regular minutes.

Going unused at Sundowns

One player, though, who still wasn’t given an outing was third-choice goalkeeper, Reyaad Pieterse. Now 28 years old and entering what should be his prime years, he has played just once all season with the end of February fast-approaching – against minnows, Cote d’Or in the CAF Champions League preliminary rounds.

Yes, few clubs use their third-choice in goal when rotating in the cups, but second-choice, Kennedy Mweene has already played in ten matches this season (seven starts, three substitute appearances) owing to Denis Onyango’s injury problems. A straightforward game against Vaal University of Technology was perhaps the last chance that Pieterse will have to play this season as Sundowns chase three trophies between now and May.

Many will point at the goalkeeper’s trophy cabinet and bank balance and argue that he is certainly not suffering any hardship at Cloorkop and whilst that is true, he may look at the career of someone like Ronwen Williams with envy.

Williams rise contrasts Pieterse’s fall

The SuperSport United stopper, who Pieterse competed with for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, is now the Bafana Bafana number one and playing every week whilst being his club’s vice captain.

In the 2015-16 season, Pieterse was excelling at Kaizer Chiefs as he started 14 of the side’s 30 league games, keeping more clean sheets and conceding less goals per game than injury-hit Itumeleng Khune. With the Chiefs captain’s high salary demands and injury problems, Amakhosi allowed him to leave at the end of that campaign with Pieterse expected to become the number one in goal.

However, a U-turn from both club and player saw Khune renew his contract and Pieterse instead went to SuperSport. Even there, he started 14 of the 30 PSL matches and pushed Williams to the bench for extended periods initially. However, he made some big mistakes and became the clear deputy in that battle by the end.

Mosimane not impressed

At Downs, he was handed some real opportunities at the beginning of the 2018-19 season not long after signing but made a howler on his debut against AmaZulu and another mistake as Masandawana were knocked out of the Telkom Knockout by Baroka.

Right now, Pitso Mosimane does not seem to trust him and moved for another goalkeeper in the transfer window prior to this season by signing Ajax Cape Town’s Jody February. The club has also been linked with Maritzburg United’s Richard Ofori in recent months and Pieterse’s prospects of being Onyango’s successor in coming seasons look remote.

Whilst his own performances and some injury issues are strong factors in his lack of minutes, there are still opportunities for him to play where Sundowns don’t use him. That is a real shame considering how promising his career looked in 2015.