Dolly ‘not the reason for slump’
Thembinkosi Sekgaphane
Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Fabian McCarthy has refused to blame Keagan Dolly’s January departure for Masandawana’s recent run of poor results, and believes the 5-0 drubbing of SuperSport United was what they needed to get back in the Absa Premiership title race.
McCarthy believes the Brazilians’ bad patch – Pitso Mosimane’s side went five league games without a win and also exited the Nedbank Cup at home to Golden Arrows – was due to to injury disruptions in defence.
“I think they are back; It (SuperSport) was a game where they had to turn things around. I won’t say Dolly’s departure had anything to do with it. We can’t use that as an excuse – they were losing because they had a few injuries to their defensive players, they were conceding goals but not scoring,” said McCarthy.
Mr Cool, as the central defender was known in his playing days at Chiefs, stressed the importance of a team striking a rich vein of form at the right time, with Cape Town City, Chiefs, Bidvest Wits and Sundowns challenging for the title.
“It is important to pick up in the last stretch of the league. Chiefs are not playing well but they are picking up points that they need. Sundowns and Wits have a good chance of winning the league title. But Cape Town City and Chiefs are the dark horses in this race. They (Sundowns) need to beat the teams around them and they stand a chance to win the league. The 5-0 beating of SuperSport is a good example.”
McCarthy has also identified players that could add to coach Pitso Mosimane’s arsenal next season.
“Lebohang Manyama could move, it’s time for him to go to a big team. I think Sundowns could very well break the bank to get him.”