It is believed that Rivaldo Coetzee, who played for Mamelodi Sundowns, can still make a difference on the pitch.
This player (29) who was released by the Pretoria team at the end of the 2024/25 season, believes that he is ready to start again in another team.
Coetzee, who hails from Kakamas, Northern Cape, started at Ajax Cape Town’s nursery school, and ended up playing for their senior team in 2014. He played with the national team for the first time in the same year at the age of 17.
In 2017, it was revealed that he was going to play for the Scottish team, Celtic, but it ended up not happening because a problem was found in his foot when he was examined by the team’s doctors.
However, he got a unique opportunity to be signed by Mamelodi Sundowns in 2017, but he did not play for the entire 2017/18 season after undergoing foot surgery.
Starting from the 2018/19 season, Coetzee became one of the most important players of the Brazilians holding it in the center back and in the middle but the team finally released him due to being injured.
This season he trained with Sekhukhune United but ended up not signing because he was injured again.
“Injury is right for me mentally but it’s difficult, especially in a team like Sundowns where there are many high-level players who don’t have the jersey. If you get injured, you have to start all over again when you come back. It’s difficult but it’s something you have to deal with because injuries are part of the game,” said Coetzee while speaking on the showPep Talk on YouTube.
“The important thing is that you act as a player and do what you have to do, take care of yourself and be determined to recover quickly.”
Although the season is coming to an end, Coetzee will not be seen on the field, he believes that the fans will be happy to see him when he returns. He went on to say that he now sees himself as a midfielder, not a stopper.
“The fans are waiting to see me back on the field because I can still make a difference to any team that gives me a chance. The type of football I play tells me that I can do a lot,” continued Coetzee.
“Right now I see myself playing in the middle at number 6. I don’t see myself playing on the back wall anymore. I like to be busy in the center of the field, control the game.”