With less than two weeks before the start of the new PSL season, Soccer Laduma looks at the top five signings to look out for.
Clubs have been busy in the market to ensure they have squads strong enough to compete, and these are my top five signings to look out for in the coming campaign.
Lesedi Kapinga (Mamelodi Sundowns to Orlando Pirates)
He's itching to play football regularly after spending most of his time watching football from the sidelines at Mamelodi Sundowns and, if he is given an opportunity to play at Pirates, then he would definitely want to make up for lost time. He showed a lot of potential while he was at Black Leopards, but did not get to take it to another level at Sundowns. He's got a fresh start and he is a player to look out for.
Lucas Ribeiro Costa (SK Beveren to Mamelodi Sundowns)
The Brazilian attacker has not taken time to adjust to life at Sundowns, but may have had an advantage because the DStv Premiership champions are having their pre-season in Europe, where he has been playing over the last few years. Having joined from Belgium, the left-footed player will still need to show that he can adjust to the football in the PSL, but South Americans who have played for Sundowns in the past have not taken time to settle into life on the pitch in South Africa.
Etiosa Ighodaro (Mamelodi Sundowns to SuperSport United)
SuperSport United may have lost Thapelo Maseko and Patrick Maswanganyi to Sundowns and Pirates respectively, but they have done well to bring in quality players who will add value to the team. One of them is Nigerian forward Ighodaro, who netted 10 times in all competitions for Chippa United last season. With the type of football Gavin Hunt plays, Ighodaro has the potential to rattle the back of the net even more in the colours of Matsatsantsa.
Given Msimango (TS Galaxy to Kaizer Chiefs)
Nominated for the DStv Premiership Defender of the Season last term, the former TS Galaxy captain has joined a Kaizer Chiefs team under a lot of pressure to succeed and his success at the club is likely to be determined by how he can handle all the criticism that players are often accustomed to. A lot of the players who have joined the club in recent years have not been able to shut it out, but Msimango has to ensure he does so to play his best football. He is a talented defender with an ability to play out from the back and possibly a future leader for the club.
Terrence Dzvukamanja (Orlando Pirates to SuperSport United)
The 2023 Nedbank Cup hero for Pirates left the Buccaneers at a time not many had expected, but he is now at a club where there is a lot less pressure and he can be able to focus on delivering on the pitch, instead of having to worry about what supporters are saying about him all the time. The Zimbabwean forward is boosted by the fact he worked with Hunt at Bidvest Wits, so he's not likely to struggle to adjust to how SuperSport play.
