Done Deal: Mamelodi Sundowns Confirm Signing of Recently Released Pirates Star | WanejoBets – Winna Wena Manje

Mamelodi Sundowns have confirmed the free-transfer signing of right-back Deano van Rooyen on a multi-year deal, days after his contract at Orlando Pirates was terminated by mutual agreement.

September 18, 2026
10:58 pm

Mamelodi Sundowns have completed the signing of Deano van Rooyen, the right-back joining on a multi-year deal just days after his Orlando Pirates contract was terminated by mutual agreement. It is a free transfer, and it solves an immediate problem for the reigning African champions.

The Deal in Brief

Player: Deano van Rooyen
Position: Right-back
Age: 29 (born 1997)
From: Orlando Pirates (contract terminated by mutual agreement)
To: Mamelodi Sundowns
Fee: Free transfer
Contract: Multi-year deal

The club confirmed it simply: “Mamelodi Sundowns are delighted to announce the signing of Deano van Rooyen, who joins us on a multi-year deal!”

Why Sundowns Needed Him

This is a signing driven by necessity. Masandawana’s two primary right-back options — Khuliso Mudau and Zuko Mdunyelwa — were both sidelined by injury, leaving a hole in a squad juggling the Betway Premiership, continental football and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Van Rooyen arrives as an experienced, ready-made solution rather than a project. For a free transfer, that is significant value.

The Road From Stellenbosch to Chloorkop

Van Rooyen’s career is a genuine South African football story. He began at Stellenbosch FC, making his senior debut in 2016 at 19, and became central to the club’s promotion to the top flight in 2019. He holds Stellenbosch’s appearance record with more than 160 matches and co-captained them to the 2023 Carling Knockout Cup.

He then joined Orlando Pirates, where he became a reliable squad member before the mutual termination. Known for his tenacity and relentless work rate, he earned the nickname “Die Hond” — The Dog.

What It Means for Pirates

Losing a squad player for nothing to your closest title rival is never comfortable. Pirates have signed ten players this window and clearly felt they had cover, but Van Rooyen going directly to Sundowns adds an edge to a transfer story that would otherwise have passed quietly.

Betting Insights

Defensive stability: A fit, experienced right-back improves Sundowns’ clean-sheet profile while Mudau and Mdunyelwa are out.
Squad depth: With nine players on Bafana duty, depth signings like this directly affect rotation and team-news markets.
New-signing impact: Sundowns’ recent arrivals have delivered quickly — Antonio van Wyk’s stoppage-time equaliser being the clearest example.
Title markets: Free transfers that fill a specific hole are the kind of low-profile move that shifts a title race quietly.

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Final Word

Sundowns needed a right-back, one became available for nothing, and they moved. There is no drama in the football logic — only in the destination. “Die Hond” swaps Soweto for Chloorkop, and Masandawana solve an injury crisis without spending a cent.

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Sources

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