Posers for Pitso ahead of taking on Highlands
GIVEN THE HEAVY SCHEDULE, COACH HAS TO MAKE CHANGES
Fringe players likely to get a chance against Highlands.
If Pitso Mosimane proves to be a man of his word, his Mamelodi Sundowns line-up against Highlands Park tonight could have a lot of changes in personnel from the team that lost 1-0 to Wydad Casablanca in the Caf Champions League at the weekend.
Mosimane did say a number of the players who did not travel to Morocco would be likely to feature in tonight’s Absa Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld, as he is rotating his squad to mitigate against Downs’ tight schedule.
“It is the programme, it is heavy. About 22 players have played in the last three games so they share the load and it creates a nice and healthy competition. People can never rest on their laurels,” said Mosimane.
“When Tiyani Mabunda did not play, it was okay, we won. When Sibusiso Vilakazi didn’t play, we scored two goals (at Polokwane City), when Anele Ngcongca didn’t play, we were okay so it is a nice and healthy competition,” he added.
The former Bafana coach continued: “Unfortunately the team does not get that momentum because I keep chopping and changing … not because I want to, but because the programme is heavy and I need to manage the legs.”
While Mosimane has been chopping and changing his squad at will in the past six games in all competition, Andile Jali is yet to make a first start domestically, having been in the first XI for two Champions League games in Togo and Morocco, either side of a cameo appearance in the MTN8 quarterfinal.
He says he is affording the Bafana international time to “grow properly”.
“The experience and game attitude are there, he gets angry sometimes and he can put his foot in it. That is good, that is what we want and that’s what we need. But let him grow properly and don’t put him on a pedestal,” Mosimane said before he expressed his delight at having goals pouring in from all areas.
“I am happy when the goals are spread around, we don’t really have one person who scores the goals. It was only last season, when Percy Tau was our top goal-scorer.”