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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeping coach Brian Baloyi has lauded Dennis Onyango for his rise from being a fringe player to being Sundowns' first-choice gloveman.
Before dislodging, amongst others, Zambia's Africa Cup of Nations winning goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene and Bafana Bafana international Wayne Sandilands, Onyango had been in and out of Masandawana's camp with loan spells to Bidvest Wits, while he also fell further down the pecking order after the arrivals of Thela Ngobeni and Glen Verbauwhede.
But ever since he manned the posts in the 4-1 thrashing of Moroka Swallows by Downs in October 2015, Onyango has never looked back.
To date, he has started 15 of Sundowns' 21 Absa Premiership matches so far, and Baloyi has lauded the Uganda international's rise to prominence.
"Dennis at Sundowns has been doing well," Baloyi told Vodacom Soccer. "Sometimes it takes time, and I know it from experience, but when you have other top goalkeepers at a club, sometimes it helps, you push each other.
"I mean, at one point Dennis was on the transfer list. They were just looking at Kennedy and Wayne Sandilands.
"And all of a sudden he took up the fight and turned everything around for himself and that's something you can share with the youngsters where you've had someone at number three or four at a certain point.
"Even with Thela Ngobeni there, there was a point where he was even number four and there were thoughts of him being offloaded.
"Look at him now he has turned everything around and he is number one.
"And he's even been able to help them win trophies, and even in their league run he's had a worthy contribution."
