South African forward Lars Veldwijk has disclosed how he nearly signed for Mamelodi Sundowns while coach Rulani Mokwena was still in charge.
While Veldwijk was a free agent towards the end of 2023, several clubs, including Betway Premiership giants Downs and Kaizer Chiefs expressed their interest in him. In fact, he had talks with Amakhosi and Cape Town City at some point.
Nevertheless, the Dutch forward ultimately joined CD Castello in Spain in February 2024, before moving on to his current team, Gulf United in the United Arab Emirates.
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The 33-year-old has made a significant impact with the UAE Division One League club since he arrived in January this year, scoring 12 goals in ten matches so far.
In an interview with KickOff's Clifton Mabasa, the forgotten Bafana Bafana striker shared that he was on the brink of joining Sundowns and discussed why the potential deal did not go through.
"It has always been a dream for me to come and play in South Africa, several times I had discussions with the clubs over there," Veldwijk told KickOff.com.
"Last year, I was in talks with Mamelodi Sundowns and had a 45-minute phone call with the head coach (Rulani Mokwena) at that time. I think it was in January last year.
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"I was expecting them to offer me a contract, but sadly it never materialised. At that time, coach Rulani was still at the club. We had a good phone chat lasting around 40 to 45 minutes, but after that, they opted for a different choice," he added.
"You see now Bafana coach Hugo Broos enjoys selecting players from the local league, because they are doing well, which is why I wanted to join Sundowns last year to finally showcase myself in South Africa."
