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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 44433, member: 636"]
Nigerian striker Etiosa Ighodaro just received his South African permanent residence permit. This changes everything for Mamelodi Sundowns and teams that wanted to sign him. The club planned to release him but decided to keep him as a local player instead.

Sundowns sources confirm Ighodaro will join pre-season training after the Club World Cup. He still has a contract until June 2026 with the Brazilians. The permanent residence status means he counts as a local player rather than a foreign one.

Kaizer Chiefs showed interest in signing Ighodaro when he seemed available for free. Other clubs like Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu also wanted the 23-year-old forward. Russian team FC Baltika expressed interest as well.

Ighodaro joined Sundowns back in 2021 on a five-year deal. He never played for the main team though. The striker spent time on loan at University of Pretoria, Chippa United, SuperSport United and AmaZulu.

His new legal status makes him more valuable to Sundowns and attractive to other teams. Clubs must pay a transfer fee rather than sign him for free. The permanent residence permit means he takes up a local spot instead of a foreign quota place.
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