Khenyeza takes dig at Pirates/Chiefs, defends Downs spending

Golden Arrows coach Mabhuti Khenyeza has gone against the current tide in local football and defended Mamelodi Sundowns over the flak they have been getting recently. 

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A number of prominent names in the game have come out to call for a spending cap in the Premier Soccer League to stop Sundowns from buying all the big players. 

It is believed that Sundowns‘ dominance is due to their spending power, as they are able to get the best players and afford to pay them huge salaries.

But Khenyeza has a different view on this. He believes it all rests on the players applying themselves on the field and has nothing to do with the name on the back of a player. 

He also took a veiled dig at other teams like Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs saying they buy players but then fail to utilise them properly and get the best out of them.

“There are 11 players against 11 on the field,” said Khenyeza this week. “Sundowns don’t just buy players who then go on vacation.

“They work hard but other teams buy players and go on vacation; that’s the difference between Sundowns and other teams,” added Khenyeza.

“It’s not about buying. You can buy any player, but if they arrive and get comfortable, and don’t apply themselves, it doesn’t mean anything to buy those players.

“Let’s just be honest, football is all about application, it’s not about the name.

“It will all be determined by how I apply myself. That’s why there are so many surprises all the time. But we still think we need to get so and so to come and play here.” 

Fruit and vegetables

Khenyeza said the matter of buying players needs careful consideration as it is not like going to a farmers’ market and buying fruit and vegetables.

“You can buy all the stars but if they are not prepared to work because they need to defend and attack, it’s not money that’s going to do that. 

“Physically, they need to apply themselves, if they can’t, what’s the use to buy lots of players? You can only do that in the market, where they sell fruit and vegetables.”