Former Mamelodi Sundowns star’s new role identified at his new PSL club - 'I think for now, centre-back is where I will put him'

Rivaldo Coetzee marked an important step in his comeback journey with his Sekhukhune United debut, coming on as a second-half substitute to help his side secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Magesi FC.

The defender, who recently earned a short-term deal after training with the club, seized his opportunity to make an immediate impact as Babina Noko collected crucial points, with coach Eric Tinkler already outlining plans to gradually reintegrate him into the team as a key defensive option.

Speaking after the narrow win, Tinkler was full of praise for the defender's technical output and composure under pressure.

“He has come through a lot. He has been with us for eight months, and he has been training with us. When he arrived, he was quite big,” Tinkler said as per IOL.

“I said to him, ‘We must set targets. If we get to those targets by December, then we can start considering you because I know the quality that he has. I think he has worked on it (shape) very well, and I think he did well.

"We are a team that wants to be possession-based, and we want to play out from the back, and he brought that confidence. Every single pass he made went to a man. That’s the quality that he possesses. He reads the game very well. He understands the game, and his communication with his teammates is very good.”

Tinkler has a very specific plan for the player's immediate future at Sekhukhune, opting for a more cautious approach regarding his physical workload.

“That’s the beauty of Rivaldo. He can play as a central defender or as a holding midfielder. Those are the two positions that are his strength,” he explained.

“His vision from those positions is very good; I think, for now centre back is where I will put him. I think it will be a little bit too early to throw him in the midfield. The intensity is very high, so gradually he can do both.”

Reflecting on his first competitive minutes in months, Coetzee expressed his gratitude to his new teammates for helping him navigate the high-intensity environment of a Limpopo derby.

“Well, I can only give credit to the boys because they have helped me so much to integrate into the team and manage these 45 minutes,” Coetzee said.

“It was a very tough game, and it’s always difficult to come in as a substitute, you know, because the intensity of the game is already high. But luckily, it was halftime, and everyone had to catch their second breath in the second half. It was a very good result for us because the win was important, and we will take it from here.”