Insight On Sundowns Target, ‘Haaland’

Angus Moss during the National First Division match between Baroka FC and Cape Town Spurs. Photo: Gallo Images / Philip Maeta

With former Cape Town Spurs striker Angus Moss reportedly close to signing for Mamelodi Sundowns, the Siya crew has insight into the qualities of the 1,97 meters tall striker.

Moss was spotted in Sundowns’ kit in the BSI Ubungani Cup two weeks ago, where he won the top goal-scorer award, and there are already rumours that the 17-year-old forward has been signed by Masandawana, as he has been spending time with their DStv Diski Challenge side.

Soccer Laduma spoke to a coach in Cape Town youth football on what he knows about the striker nicknamed ‘Haaland’.

“I have not worked with him as a coach, but I saw him play last season. I wouldn’t know what level he is at. I know that he came out of nowhere, if I can put it like that,” a coach, who also formerly worked at Cape Town Spurs, told the Siya crew.

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“Because normally, in Cape Town football, when you have a talented youngster, word gets out quickly. So maybe they’ve done well to keep him quiet, to keep him a secret. If he’s training with Sundowns, I wish him luck. 

“I watched one or two games when he played in the NFD for Spurs…when you’re a young player, especially coming from a club like Spurs, the younger you are, the more people look at you as having an X-factor and that’s a difficult thing because the history of the club has always been like that,” the source, a former striker in his playing days, added.

He added that young players who get exposure from an earlier age are often guaranteed to raise excitement levels and expectations from fans.

“But to be honest, I’ve yet to see a player who comes out of Ikamva in the last couple of years who excites me,” he confessed.

The anonymous coach, however, eventually opened up on the attributes of Moss.

“Obviously, he’s huge, he’s tall. I actually did not know that he was a striker until they put him on and he went up front. I thought he was a defender, who they just threw upfront because they needed a goal,” the Cape Town-based coach went on.

“And when I saw that he is a striker, in the target-man mould, immediately I watched him, because obviously I was a target-man. Players like that (you ask yourself), what is their X-factor?

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“Look, he’s still young, I haven’t seen enough of him to make a call (judgment). I wish him well, I hope for his sake, the coaches who worked with him have prepared him for this journey,” the coach continued.

“I know first-hand that target-men in South African football are always watched very closely and we’re always judged and criticised, maybe a bit harsher than other players, because football in South Africa is not set up to have a target-man that is a six-footer, as one of the star players. And that makes it hard for a young man like him.

“Let’s see, if Sundowns have him (on trial), maybe they have a plan for him,” the coach added.

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