Mandla Masango
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mandla Grateful Masango[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 July 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Kwaggafontein, South Africa | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position | Right winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Mega Force | |||
| HP Silver Stars | |||
| Walter Stars | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2015 | Kaizer Chiefs | 105 | (11) |
| 2015–2018 | Randers FC | 29 | (7) |
| 2017 | → SuperSport United (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006 | South Africa U-17 | 3 | (2) |
| 2009 | South Africa U-20 | 4 | (1) |
| 2011 | South Africa U-23 | 3 | (3) |
| 2013– | South Africa | 13 | (4) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 June 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 5 July 2015 | |||
Mandla Greatful Masango (born July 18, 1989) is a South African footballer who most recently played as a right winger for Randers in Denmark.[2] Masango represented South Africa at various youth levels and has been a full international since making his senior debut in 2013.
Kaizer Chiefs
Masango joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2007 ahead of the 2007–08 Premier Soccer League season. He made his debut against Thanda Royal Zulu on 15 August 2007, scoring the Chiefs' first goal in a 2–0 win. He has gradually become a regular in the club's first team, making ten league appearances in 2009–10, before playing 20 league games in 2010–11.[3] He has played twice so far in the 2011–12 season. Masango also scored for Kaiser Chiefs in their 2–0 win over Mpumalanga Black Aces on 24 February 2010, again opening the scoring.[4] In the 2012–13 season where Chiefs won a league and cup double, Masango played only nine league games.[5] In 2013–14, he made his CAF Champions League debut against Black Africa and scored a scissor kick from a Knowledge Musona cross in the 3–0 win.[6] He also came off the bench in the Nedbank Cup Last 16 match and scored a diving header against ABC Motsepe League side FC Buffalo.[7] At the end of the season, he attracted interest from Sweden Superettan club, Landskrona BoIS which already had a South African in their team with Bradley Ralani.[8] He also received an offer from Mpumalanga Black Aces but the deal was put on ice after they found out about his high salary.[9] He was also on the verge of being loaned to Ajax Cape Town or Moroka Swallows.[10] Masango started off the 2014–15 season with a brace in a 4–0 win over Mpumalanga Black Aces in the MTN8.[11] He scored his first league goal of 2014–15 in a 2–1 win over Mpumalanga Black Aces on 13 August 2013.[12] He also scored a solitary goal against Bloemfontein Celtic in the 81st minute on 19 August 2014.[13] On 11 September 2014, Masango and Stuart Baxter were named ABSA Premiership Player and Coach of the Month.[14] After being rested against University of Pretoria, he played in the 1–0 win over Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 2014 Final. Masango scored a solitary penalty goal in the 45th minute against Maritzburg United on 27 September 2014.[15] Masango eventually attracted the interest of Ligue 1 club Rennes which hoped to sign him in January or the end of 2014–15 shouldn't his contract be extended.[16] The club planned to send a representative for the then upcoming Soweto derby but was postponed as it was on the day of the funeral of the late South African national team captain Senzo Meyiwa. The club later revealed that Rennes would send a scout to watch him at the 2015 African Cup of Nations.[17] On his last Chiefs match, Masango scored a header on 9 May 2015 in a 2–0 win over Chippa United.[18] Masango attracted the likes of Rennes, Anorthorsis Famagusta and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Randers
On 13 August 2015 it was announced that Masango had reach an agreement with Randers on a free transfer. On 30 August 2015, Masango made his debut in a 2–0 win over AaB where he scored the second goal in the 82nd minute.[19]
Style of play
Masango is of lean and diminutive build. Muhsin Ertugral who signed Masango in 2007 compared him to maverick genius Jabu Pule who he said had ability to read and change the game, and create spaces as well as bravely take on defenders.[20] Masango plays as a right winger, secondary striker and also as an attacking midfielder.[21] Masango was also described as Le James Noir.[22] FifaPlayerRatings.com suggests that Masango would excel more as a forward for his "better finishing ability than most midfielders" and "above average balance" and ranks him in the top 20% of attacking players in FIFA 15 and the 270th best Right Midfielder in the game.[23]
