Two South African teenagers could go up against each other on Wednesday in Major League Soccer as struggling Toronto look set to unleash Cassius Mailula and Philadelphia Union might employ to have Olwethu Makhanya to stop him.
The pair are freshly arrived in the North American league after lucrative moves away from the DStv Premiership and hoping for full debuts in the latest round of league fixtures.
Mailula came off the bench for his beleaguered Canadian club at the weekend, getting his first game time in the MLS since his July move from Mamelodi Sundowns.
But he proved unable to score in his 26-minute cameo role away at Columbus Crew on Saturday, although only a good save from Patrick Schulte, in the Columbus goal, denied him an instant goal as a Federico Bernardeschi ball was nodded back into the middle by Jonathan Osorio for the South African to steer on target.
“What a start that would have been to his TFC career,” said acting coach Terry Dunfield afterwards. “In open play and transition, he was excellent.
“He protects the ball well when he receives between lines and the more training he gets under his belt the more we'll see a little bit of sharpness in and around the box,” he elaborated. “He worked hard to step out and press defensively at times and reorganise. Overall it was a pleasing debut.”
Mailula was asked about his early chance at a post-match press conference.
“I always give myself a chance by being in the right position,” he said. “Just unfortunate that that didn't go in.”
It was a promising cameo.
“It felt great to be out there, to feel how it is, and to get to understand how everything is in MLS,” Mailula added of his debut. “Even to play away because it's always tough to play away. I'm glad that I got to know how it is out there.”
Toronto have since appointed former Canada coach John Herdman as their new coach but he only takes over on October 1.
Philadelhipa have yet to give Makhanya a debut but he has been on the bench three times since arriving from Stellenbosch and Wednesday’s clash could be the chance he has been waiting for.
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