Don’t compare Mailula to Percy Tau, pleads Mokwena

Mamelodi Sundowns young sensation Cassius Mailula’s story is similar to that of Percy Tau, as both are products of the club’s development ranks. Mailula has been a marvel to watch and has held down the fort up front in the absence of Peter Shalulile.

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There might be a bit of similarities in Mailula and Tau’s style of play, as both are not traditional strikers and cannot be categorized as wingers either. However, Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena does not appreciate the mention of both these players in one sentence, especially where comparisons are drawn.

“It is not fair to both players to make that comparison because they are two exceptionally talented players with their qualities,” Mokwena said in an interview with SABC TV.

“I always plead for patience with Cassius but I know that it is the goals that make the noise and then his name becomes a name that everyone wants to talk about,” he added.

The former Orlando Pirates mentor says while Mailula is the talk of the town, he needs to be given some time to develop as there are a number of challenges that he still has.

“The reality is that when I sit down with him and do corrections, there is still a lot of potential in this boy. The good thing about Cassius is that a lot of the things that he does wrong are a lot of the things that young players do wrong. The only way for him to develop and get better is for him to be on the pitch and experience these situations,” said Mokwena.

He adds: “Offensive players need to be on the pitch to experience the pressure, the anxiety and the feeling of being in and around the box to be able to improve. Training in isolation to do finishing and movements does not help offensive players that much.

“They need to have a smell of moments, … to know when to hurry up and when to slow down. We have to be a bit more patient with him because he still makes a lot of mistakes and that is good because it shows that he is going to get better.”