Former goalkeeper Posnet Omony has shared his thoughts about the one goalkeeper that can replace Dennis Onyango as Sundowns no 1 in the nearest future.
Ugandan goalkeeper Ismail Watenga remains linked with a move to Sundowns after he already spent time training with the club before he then made the move to Chippa United in December 2020. Regardless, the league leaders are believed to be keeping an eye on the goalkeeper’s progress.
Watenga has been one of the standout goalkeepers in the PSL this season. At the moment, the 25-year-old has kept a clean sheet in his last two consecutive games, against in-form Golden Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs. He was particularly instrumental in the victory over Chiefs and it means Chippa have now secured four points from their last possible six as they continue the battle to avoid the drop.
If that isn’t enough, the athletic goalkeeper led his side to the final of the Nedbank Cup after a brilliant performance against Pretoria Callies in the semi-finals. As it stands, Watenga is already billed as the most likely successor for Onyango with the Ugandan national team. With that in mind, Omony believes the same can also happen in club colours, with Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Already in Uganda he is the most likely replacement for Onyango. So, if he can replace Onyango in the national team with his experience also having played in the continent with the club he was with before, why can’t he do it at Sundowns? Sundowns will have a good goalkeeper to replace Denis in him,” said Omony.
“After Denis, Ismail is one of the top young goalkeepers to come out of the country. Ismail is one of those tall goalkeepers that you can say are all-rounders. He’s good in the air and he is very fast on the ground. In terms of the distribution, he is getting there. But when it comes to his primary role as a goalkeeper, he is an all-rounder and he’s not just a shot-stopper like most goalkeepers in the country,” the Ugandan goalkeeper added.
Indeed, replacing a veteran goalkeeper like Onyango will come as an herculean task. However, Watenga is already proving his worth and showing that he can handle it on the big stage as well. Age is still on his side and his best years are way ahead of him.