Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane feels that he is yet to find a suitable replacement for Katlego Mphela at the Tshwane giants.
Mphela was highly-rated by Mosimane during his days with Sundowns where he established himself as one of the best strikers in the country.
The forward nicknamed 'Killer' won the PSL Players' Player of the Season and the league's Golden Boot award after scoring 17 goals for Masandawana during the 2009/10 season.
“Sergio Aguero is not really a big No.9, even Gabriel Jesus from Brazil, David Villa," Mosimane told Power FM according to The Citizen.
"They are not big No.9s, even Wayne Rooney was never a big No.9, but they are powerful and they are smart, they score goals.
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“I don’t have a No.9, it eludes me. The last No.9 I had was ‘Killer’ Mphela."
Mosimane currently has Mauricio Affonso at his disposal after the towering Uruguayan centre forward impressed in his debut season in South Africa, before he picked up a long-term injury earlier this year.
Affonso scored six goals in 13 competitive appearances, but the former Alianza Lima striker sustained a groin injury in March 2020 and he was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.
Mosimane, who coached Mphela at SuperSport United, Bafana Bafana and Sundowns, always knew that Killer would deliver for his team.
“I remember the whole country said ‘Pitso favours Mphela even if Mphela does not play that well and he always keeps him on the pitch’," he continued.
"But he always scored for me and I challenged the country, who is the convincing No.9 like Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy, they used to convince us."
Mosimane tried Jeremy Brockie in recent years after the New Zealand international established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in the country during his time with SuperSport.
However, the experienced striker failed to live up to expectations at Sundowns and he has spent this season out on loan at Maritzburg United.
