Durban - Richards Bay FC have shown more intent to develop a team worthy of competing in the DSTV Premiership next season by announcing the signings of goalkeepers Neil Boshoff and Omar Magoola.
Boschoff joins after having been released by AmaZulu at the end of last season. The Pinetown born shot-stopper will now vie to play regularly in the South African top-flight now that he has been on the domestic scene for a while.
The 26-year-old burst onto the professional scene with AmaZulu in 2016 but never really made the first team goalkeeping position at the club his own in six years. He spent a lot of time serving as understudy to Siyabonga Mbatha and then Veli Mothwa.
Uganda international Magoola joins after having most recently played for Pretoria Callies. After stints in his homeland with Express FC and Kampala CC, the 27-year-old also had stints in Sudan with Al Merreikh and Al-Hilal.
The six times capped Uganda national team player brings in CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup experience to Richards Bay.
Given that veteran Malcolm Jacobs is now past his prime, the first-choice goalkeeping position at Richards Bay next season will be expected to be a tussle between Boschoff and Magoola. Magoola will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Ugandan international goalkeepers Denis Onyango and Ismail Watenga and go on to make a name for himself in South Africa.
Richards Bay have been active in the transfer market so far having brought in four notable players with prior top-flight experience namely Michael Gumede, Abel Mabaso, Sibusiso Mthethwa and Nkanyiso Zungu while Sanele Barns joined from the University of Pretoria.
Mabaso and Zungu joined from Pirates having been part of the Sea Robbers exodus at the end of last season as the club looks to rebuild under new Spanish coach Jose Riveiro.
Gumede arrives from Golden Arrows with a knack of finding goals at the death of games. While not the most technically gifted attackers around, Gumede has a high work rate and stamina which often works to his advantage in terms of gaining goalscoring opportunities as opposition defences start to tire.
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