Important details have emerged about Denis Onyango following his latest contract extension at Mamelodi Sundowns, which keeps him in the PSL for 20 years in a row.
Onyango has another year on his deal at Sundowns and did so after celebrating his 40th birthday in May and throughout a career that has elevated him to being the most successful footballer in the history of the domestic game.
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The 12-time league winner has also won the CAF Champions League, CAF Super Cup, African Football League, Nedbank Cup (three), Telkom Knockout (two), and MTN8.
"I think the most important thing for me as a goalkeeper coach is to know how to train him because he is 40+," says Sundowns goalkeeper coach Kennedy Mweene, who is only five months older than the Ugandan.
Onyango has travelled to the USA for the FIFA Club World Cup.
“You must know how to train him and, as a result, there are some exercises that he doesn’t complete because we look at his body and what he needs.
"But he always pushes himself because I always encourage him to go on," says Mweene.
Then, for his former teammate Hlompho Kekana – who is a week younger than Onyango and last played professional football four years ago – he applauds him.
"Onyango, what a professional.
"I admire his professionalism and leadership.
"More than anything, he is one guy who held the dressing room all by himself during my playing days because he is loud and has the personality to lead the younger ones.
"I do admire how he handles himself in the changing room with the younger ones, older ones, and even with the coaches.
"Now that he is in his 40s, he realises that he will be called upon whenever the team needs him.
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"But I just love the fact that he is still around the team.
"The team needs his experience, Kapalaya (Mweene) is there, Themba Zwane is there, Thapelo Morena is one of the guys that I played with, so you need that experience to show the younger ones how it is done at Mamelodi Sundowns," says Kekana.
Photo: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images
