Brandon Truter talks up plans for Mamelodi Sundowns youngster

The Natal Rich Boys have also promoted a few players from their Diski Challenge team to strengthen a squad that has been given some impetus following the arrival of a few high-profile names. 

Sundowns hope the 21-year-old Buthelezi can finally make his Betway Premiership breakthrough, and so does Truter. 

"Thando, an exceptional player, good talent, but we have some very good boys that have been promoted from our own DDC as well, and they're also knocking very hard on the door for a starting berth,"

"But it's always a catch-22 when you take a young talent on loan, how you develop him for another club or are you looking at your own interests as well.

"So we have to weight that up and see where we can fit him in, and which games he will play, but he's definitely a good talent."

Truter was appointed by Richards Bay to replace Vusumuzi Vilakazi, who did not agree with the targets set by the club after a brush with relegation last season.

But the former Moroka Swallows mentor is not shying away from expectations. 

"A lot has changed at the club, and it's also been a year since I was in the Premiership – a lot of research, internships, and football games that happened during this year," he added.

"So I'm hoping we are better prepared, but finding a team that played in the relegation play-offs and then coming into a pre-season without a proper break, and taking over from a coach who's left his imprint on the team – which is not similar to mine, it's been tough.

"But over the four weeks, I can honestly say there has been progress that I'm happy with, there have been new additions to the club, with the likes of [Thabiso] Kutumela, [Siyethemba] Sithebe, [Thabang] Sibanyoni, Keegan Allan, and [Tlakusani] Mthethwa.

"So there's expectations, they don't want the same situation as last season, and of course top eight is a target [because] we're very ambitious as well, looking a bit higher than eighth position – I think that's fair on the supporters and my personal ambitions as well."

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