Mokwena worried about fitness of Sundowns’ Bafana stars

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has raised concerns over the physical condition of his star performers that he rested for the 2-0 over Maritzburg United in the Nedbank Cup Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

First choice goalkeeper and Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams was not in the matchday squad. Reigning PSL Footballer of Season Teboho Mokoena as well as the evergreen Themba Zwane were also given a break.

The three players form part of seven Sundowns players that have been picked for South Africa’s squad that will take on Andorra and Algeria in international friendlies over the next two weeks.

The Brazilians will take on Young Africans in the quarterfinal of the Caf Champions League when the FIFA break concludes. Mokwena is clearly worried about the extra workload the friendlies are likely to add to his player’s schedule.

“It’s tough because Ronza (Ronwen Williams) is struggling with a shoulder injury and we’ve got a very important Champions League game and Tebza (Teboho Mokoena) is struggling with a knee and they’ve had them since the Afcon,” he stressed.

“It’s only now that we have Mothobi Mvala back and Sailor (Khuliso Mudau) is also back but we still have a problem with Thapelo Maseko who also got the injury at the Afcon. We try to protect our players as best as we can. A rest is important so that they can minus the load.

“It helps with the schedule we have and they are fresher for the champions league. But it’s not easy because at the same time we have to win games and you can’t say to people that we didn’t have Aubrey Modiba, Ronwen and Tebza but you know how important they are to us.”

In the post-match press conference of the Maritzburg game where Thembinkosi Lorch scored a brace, Mokwena was asked to elaborate further on whether their injuries could rule them out for Bafana.

“They were rested because they’ve got niggling injuries and that’s really the truth. Are the injuries strong enough to keep them away from Bafana Bafana? I don’t know,” Mokwena responded.

“As a club we have always supported the national team and we will continue to do that. If we can rest a bit Themba Zwane (it would be good) even though he is suspended for our trip to Tanzania and he won’t be available for the first leg. He is very important for us.”

‘I want more’

The Sundowns coach was not entirely satisfied with Lorch, meanwhile, even though he proved the match-winner against Maritzburg.

“With Lorch, Am I happy? No, but I’m quietly content and he knows that I want more. That’s from everybody because I want more from Gaston (Sirino), Matias Esquivel “Bongani Zungu and Marcelo Allende. I also want more from myself because I hold myself to very high standards and that’s why I demand a lot from my players.”