Maseko Leaves Sundowns for Copenhagen Move

Mamelodi Sundowns and FC Copenhagen have reached agreement on a transfer fee for Thapelo Maseko, clearing the last major hurdle for the Bafana Bafana winger to head to Denmark.

The 22-year-old is expected to fly out for his medical before the end of the weekend. If he passes, the deal will be finalised and a turbulent spell at Chloorkop will officially be over.

It has been a strange few months for a player who lit up the global stage. Maseko was one of South Africa’s standout performers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, capping his tournament with the winning goal against South Korea as Bafana reached the knockout phase for the first time in their history.

Yet while his international stock soared, his club situation deteriorated.

Sundowns left him out of their pre-season tour to Austria last month, a decision that raised eyebrows given his World Cup form. By then, though, the writing was already on the wall. Maseko had told the club he wanted a fresh start, a stance coach Miguel Cardoso recently confirmed in public.

It marks a sharp turn from the optimism that greeted his arrival. He joined Sundowns from SuperSport United in July 2023 after a breakout season with Matsatsantsa, viewed as one of the most exciting young attackers in the country. Game time, however, became harder to come by. As competition intensified and he slipped down the pecking order, his role shrank.

Mid-Season Exit

The consequence was a mid-season exit. Maseko spent the final six months of last campaign on loan at AEL Limassol in Cyprus, where he rebuilt both rhythm and confidence. That spell helped him claw his way back into the Bafana Bafana setup and onto the World Cup stage.

But Cyprus came with its own problems. The public broadcaster recently reported that the player did not want to return to Limassol after payment issues disrupted the closing months of his stay there. A repeat was never on his agenda.

Copenhagen Move

Copenhagen’s decision to buy him outright changes the picture completely. The Danish club offers him a stable platform in Europe, and a team with clear ambitions in continental competition. It is a move that not only keeps him in the European shop window, but also places him at a club with a strong recent track record of competing beyond its domestic borders.

There is history here too. By signing for Copenhagen, Maseko steps onto a path once walked by Sibusiso Zuma, the South African forward who became a cult figure at the club after joining in 2000, making 188 appearances and scoring 53 goals.

Now another South African attacker gets his chance in Copenhagen colours. The question is no longer whether Maseko will leave Sundowns. It is what kind of mark he can carve out on the European stage.