Stellenbosch FC striker Ashley du Preez must surely be on the radar of Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, both of whom could do with a goalscorer.
Sundowns have Peter Shalulile banging in the goals and have plenty of backup to the Namibian. But over at the other two of the ‘big three’, the lack of a clinical finisher in both camps has been an issue.
BackpagepixDu Preez must be among the quickest players in the league and his blistering pace was shown to the fullest against Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend when the Stellies hot-shot netted a brace and gave the Masandawana defence a torrid time in the 3-0 defeat for the Pretoria team.
The 24-year-old has been catching the eye since last season, but having previously been wayward in front of goal, he seems to be finding more composure in his game these days as he becomes experienced. He now has nine goals and three assists in 28 league games, a pretty impressive return by PSL standards.
Certainly, the potential seems to be there for the young man from the Western Cape to go enjoy a stellar career and it may be hard for Stellenbosch to hang onto him for much longer.
Chiefs a better fit?
Because du Preez is still raw and developing, putting too much pressure and expectation on him could end up being counter-productive.
Should he sign for one of the big teams, he should not be expected to immediately shoulder the full goalscoring burden, but should be eased into it.
At Chiefs, where the likes of Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly are usually good for a goal, there are some experienced campaigners.
The experience of the aforementioned Amakhosi veterans, together with the likes of Leonardo Castro, Samir Nurkovic and Bernard Parker (who may not all still be at the club next season), would mean that Du Preez would have at least several seasoned scorers around him. You could see him thriving off Dolly's service.
At Pirates that would not be the case; their most senior and successful striker Gabadinho Mhango looks set to leave. Currently, Kwame Peprah (21) is Bucs’ first-choice marksman, while the futures of forwards such as Tshegofatso Mabasa, Zakhele Lepasa and Terrence Dzvukamanja seem uncertain; none of them have yet established themselves with Pirates or in the PSL.
Therefore Du Preez wouldn’t have the same sort of support and role models to look up to, something which Chiefs could offer and which could be what he most needs, should he indeed spread his wings and head north.
