As Mamelodi Sundowns’ Fawaaz Basadien endures a season on the sidelines,
former Marumo Gallants coach Dylan Kerr has issued a crucial reminder for
players tempted by offers from the league’s giants: consider game time over
glamour.
Basadien’s situation exemplifies the dilemma. After a stellar season with
Stellenbosch FC that earned him Bafana Bafana captaincy and interest from
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the 28-year-old secured a move to
Sundowns. However, competing against established stars like Aubrey Modiba
and Divine Lunga has seen him limited to just seven appearances across all
competitions this season.
Kerr, who originally converted Basadien from a midfielder to a left-back at
Moroka Swallows, points to the cautionary tale of Lesedi Kapinga. He
revealed that he personally advised the attacking midfielder against joining
Sundowns from Black Leopards.
“I told him ‘Do not sign for Sundowns, because you will not play’,” Kerr
stated. “But the lifestyle, the fact that he could buy a brand new GTI, he
could buy a house… that was the draw. But how many games has he played in
the last three years? Maybe 20?”
Kerr argues that players must make a brutally honest self-assessment before
accepting such a move. “When you’re playing regularly at one team and a big
club like Sundowns comes for you, you’ve got to be better than what Sundowns
have got.”
He also critiqued Sundowns’ historical recruitment strategy, suggesting they
sometimes sign players simply for performing well against them, rather than
having a clear plan for their use. This, he laments, has cost clubs and
players dearly.
“So taking Kapinga and not playing him cost them a lot of money. Kapinga now
I don’t think he’s playing regularly at Sekhukhune (he is without a club)
and he’s a good player,” Kerr concluded, highlighting how a promising career
can stall after a high-profile, but inactive, stint.
The message is clear: for many players, the prestige of a big club may not
be worth the sacrifice of regular football.
