With the idea of having a tall imposing striker having seemingly lost prominence in the South African top-flight in the modern era, we look at some of the tallest strikers in PSL history and where are they now.
The story
The game of football has gone through a raft of changes over recent decades, with tactics and style of play having transformed drastically in some parts. While goalkeepers nowadays are expected to be super competent with their feet, strikers no longer need to be big, tall, and strong as we used to see in the past. Nevertheless, here's’ a look at three of the tallest strikers in the Mzansi top-flight:
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Lungisani Ndlela
Standing at two metres tall, Ndlela is widely believed to be the tallest striker the PSL has ever seen. The retired centre-forward was practically impossible to miss, as his domineering presence instilled fear in many of his opponents. The Free State-born star represented the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns, Moroka Swallows, and SuperSport United before calling time on his career in the early 2010s. Today, Ndlela is said to be a correctional officer at the eMalahleni prison facility in Witbank, as he took up the job after retiring. The now 43-year-old previously revealed he was paid quite well through the course of his career, as he was reportedly earning R65 000 at Downs and R30 000 at Supersport.
Mame Niang
Another ex-Sundowns, Niang stood at 1.94 metres tall, claiming a spot as one of the tallest stars the PSL has witnessed. The Senegalese poacher represented more than a handful of clubs in South Africa, including AmaZulu, Royal Eagles, and the University of Pretoria. In the 2005/06 season, the Dakar-born star won the PSL golden boot after netting 14 times that term, according to Transfermarkt. Niang now resides in Norway, where looks to be living happily with his family. Perhaps what is lesser known about Niang is that he has never represented the Senegal national team, while he was last seen in South African football in 2019.
Caleb Bimenyimana
The most recent example of the tall striker trope is none other than Bimenyimana, who lasted just one season in the DStv Premiership. The Burundi international is 1.9 metres in height and many had lofty expectations of him when he joined Kaizer Chiefs in August 2022. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as he parted ways with Amakhosi having played just 21 games. During that short-lived spell he registered eight goals and one assist. At the moment, the 26-year-old is now a free agent again after just five months on the books of Al-Ahli Benghazi. Despite his relatively young age, Bimenyimana is well-traveled, as he has represented clubs in Latvia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, and Rwanda, to name a few.
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