Wayne wants 200% effort from Downs

THE helplessness that Wayne Arendse felt watching Mamelodi Sundowns from the stands dwarfed the pain he felt after tearing an ankle ligament.

That has kept the Sundowns centreback out of action since March. He missed their last 13 league matches and the club’s start of their Caf Champions League title defence in the group stage.

What Arendse saw from the stands was not pretty. Sundowns lost the Absa Premiership to Bidvest Wits and sit in third place in the Champions League, three points behind leaders Esperance.

“The hardest part was watching the team let the league slip away, unable to do anything about it,” Arendse said. “It was hard, and we also started badly in the Champions League. But all of that didn’t mean we had turned into a bad team. We had a lot of injuries.” Those injury problems haven’t subsided even though Arendse returned to full training on Wednesday.

Motjeka Madisha limped off the field in the Brazilians’ 2-1 loss to Esperance on June 2. Soumahoro Bangaly conceded a silly penalty with a minute left in that clash which saw Sundowns lose at home for the first time in the Champions League under Pitso Mosimane.

Madisha’s injury should pave the way for Arendse to return to the starting XI in Sundowns’ clash with Esperance at Stade Olympique de Rades on Wednesday.

“The loss to Esperance should be a wakeup call for the club,” Arendse said. “We can still defend our title. But there are three games to go and if we do well there, we will reach the quarterfinals. It’s still in our hands. When you’re African champions, every team that comes up against you will put in 100% effort. You have to put in 200%.”

Being an African champion is special for the 32-year-old not only because of the honour it comes with but also for another sentimental reason.

Arendse’s second child, Ethan, was born just before Sundowns took on Zesco United in Zambia in the Champions League semifinals. He arrived in Ndola on the eve of the match after seeing his son for the first time.

Arendse described the gold medal he collected after Sundowns won the final at the expense of Zamalek as something he will cherish forever. It signalled not only the end of a long wait for Sundowns to be African champions but it also came after his own wait to have a son.

So you best be assured that he will give it his all to help Sundowns retain this trophy.