Mamelodi Sundowns and Cypriot club agree deal for highly-rated forward

Mamelodi Sundowns winger Thapelo Maseko has finally secured his long-awaited move to Cyprus, following a loan agreement between the PSL champions and Cypriot side AEL Limassol.

Maseko has been on the radar of AEL Limassol for the past six months and came close to leaving in the off-season before the deal fell through.

The 22-year-old winger had grown frustrated at his lack of game time at Sundowns and was looking for a way out to secure more playing opportunities.

Maseko endured frustration at Chloorkop

However, since the deal stalled, his situation had not changed with coach Miguel Cardoso using him in just seven games this season, without starts, and six of them as a late substitute.

That has increased the desire on the player’s side to leave and his representatives forced the deal to AEL Limassol who have not lost interest in the winger even after the earlier deal had collapsed.

According to SABC, Maseko is now set to spend the rest of the season in Cyprus with a view to making the deal permanent at the conclusion of the campaign after falling down the pecking order since his R20 million signing from SuperSport United in 2023.

What does the future hold for the winger?

All seemed to be going well for Maseko at Sundowns when he initially signed but he has fallen down the pecking order in the last season-and-a-half, leading to his decision to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Maseko will hope to revive his career in Cyprus and regain his place in the Bafana Bafana squad, having made the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations team, when South Africa finished third.

His departure from Sundowns seems to have been accelerated by the shock signing of winger Monnapule Saleng from Orlando Pirates on Friday.