When he arrived in South Africa, there was a lot of hype and expectations around him.
After all, he is a Bolivian national team player, meaning he is a good footballer, and Mamelodi Sundowns are known for unearthing gems from South America, with the likes of Acuna, Jose Torealba, Sirino, Leonardo Castro and Nascimento having made a great impact in the Sundowns team.
Not the same can be said about Erwin Saveedra. Ever since the 26-year-old joined Masandawana, he has spent most of his time in the doctor’s rooms than on the field of play. Last season, he made only four appearances for Downs, just 102 minutes on the field of play. In the current campaign, the midfielder has played only five times, just 138 minutes. There is no question about his immense talent. In a few appearances he has made for the Brazilians, Saveedra has shown glimpses of brilliance.
He is quick, has football intelligence, excellent technique and willing to work hard off the ball.The fact that he plays for his national team is testimony to his talent.
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In 2022, he played eleven times for Bolivia during world cup qualifiers, and registered a single assist.
In 2021, before he joined Sundowns, Saveedra had played forty-three matches in total for both his former club, Club Bolivar and the Bolivian national team, scoring fifteen goals.
This means injuries have not been bothering him a lot before joining Sundowns.
“The coaches told me that injuries are part of football. To me, this is a part of football that I have never experienced before and it is new to me. I am only hoping to start the next season in the best way possible. Together we can achieve new objectives that we didn’t achieve this season,” he told the media last season concerning his injury problems.
But unfortunately for him, the injury concerns have persisted.
His numbers clearly shows that he was a good signing for the Brazilians, but he is not playing, therefore, not a good return on investment. season.
Considering his salary, which is probably not a pittance, maybe Mamelodi Sundowns should consider cutting their losses with the Bolivian, and invest on players who actually contribute for the team on the field of play.
His contract expires in 2024, and the Brazilians have a big decision to make, should they be patient with him, with hope that his injury problems will end, or cut their losses and find a suitable replacement?
