Rivaldo Coetzee

Rivaldo Roberto Genino Coetzee (born 16 October 1996) is a South African professional footballer who plays as a defender for Mamelodi Sundowns and the South Africa national team.

A graduate of the Ajax Cape Town academy, Coetzee made his professional debut in 2014 at the age of 17 and made just under 100 appearances for the club. In 2017, he won the club's Player of the Season award before signing for Mamelodi Sundowns later in the year. He is also a full international and, upon making his international debut in 2014, became the youngest player ever to represent South Africa at the age of 17 years and 361 days, though this record has since been broken by Fagrie Lakay.

Club career

Ajax Cape Town
Coetzee is a product of Ajax Cape Town's youth academy, having joined the club at the age of 15. He made his first team debut at the age of 17 in February 2014 and won the club's Player of the Season and Player's Player of the Season awards at the end of the 2016–17 PSL season. He scored his first goal for the club on 19 August 2017, netting in a 1–1 draw with Golden Arrows, before having to be withdrawn through injury.

Two days later, Ajax announced that they had agreed to sell Coetzee to Scottish Premiership club Celtic. The proposed transfer later collapsed, however, as the player failed his medical after it was discovered that he had an underlying issue in his right foot.

Mamelodi Sundowns
Despite having failed a medical with Celtic days before, Coetzee signed for Ajax's PSL rivals Mamelodi Sundowns on the transfer deadline day for a reported fee of R10m plus Mario Booysen. He underwent corrective surgery on his foot soon after his arrival which resulted in him missing the entire 2017–18 South African Premier Division campaign. In August 2018, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane revealed that Coetzee's ailment was more serious than first feared and that "he can still stay two years without playing to get better".

International career

Coetzee made his international debut for South Africa in an African Nations Cup qualifier against Congo on 12 October 2014 making him the youngest player ever to represent the country, aged 17 years and 361 days – a record that was later broken by Supersport United forward Fagrie Lakay.

He was selected in South Africa's squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. In the nation's opening game, a 1–3 defeat to Algeria, he had to be replaced by Siyabonga Nhlapo after 29 minutes due to injury.

Career statistics

Club 
(Correct as of 19 August 2017) 

1 Includes Nedbank Cup matches. 
2 Includes Telkom Knockout matches. 
3 Includes MTN 8 matches.

Honours

Club
Ajax Cape Town
 MTN 8: 2015

References

External links
 

Category:1996 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Kakamas
Category:Cape Coloureds
Category:South African soccer players
Category:Association football defenders
Category:Ajax Cape Town F.C. players
Category:South Africa international soccer players
Category:2015 Africa Cup of Nations players
Category:2015 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations players
Category:Footballers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic soccer players of South Africa