Mashaba open to resting tired Sundowns players
BAFANA Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba yesterday said he would be open to discussing the possibility of withdrawing the five Mamelodi Sundowns players he has included in his squad to face Mauritania in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier on Friday and a friendly against Egypt four days later.
But he first fired a subtle salvo at Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, who is adamant that Mashaba and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) should help the players manage what is going to be a tiresome schedule in trying to balance their CAF Champions League commitments, league games as well as the MTN8 semi-final, which will be played over two legs next month.
Mashaba said Mosimane – a former national team coach himself – should have rather followed the proper procedures instead of going public with his grievances.
During a post-match TV interview shortly after Sundowns beat Tshwane rivals SuperSport United 3-1 at the weekend to advance to the last four of the MTN8, Mosimane lamented having to see Tebogo Langerman, Thapelo Morena, Hlompho Kekana, Keagan Dolly and Sibusiso Vilakazi report for national team duty for a dead-rubber of a qualifier against Mauritania (Bafana have already missed out on qualification for next year’s Afcon) and the Nelson Mandela Challenge – a friendly – against Egypt.
The Brazilians have also reached the semi-finals in the Champions League, where they will face Zambia’s ZESCO United in a home and away format, with the first leg scheduled for the weekend of September 16 and the second a week later.
“Unfortunately nobody has come to us,” Mashaba said. “We are open because we have an open door policy.
“If anyone wants to come to us, they can do so.
“But from what I am hearing, I am disappointed because we are always available if anyone wants to talk to us about these sort of things.
“I can’t comment any further until there is communication. If they want something, let them send it and then we will sit down and deal with it then.”
Although he should know better having been in the national team hot seat between 2010 and 2012, Mosimane has probably managed to garner public sympathy given that South Africans are eager to see a local team end the continental trophy drought. Orlando Pirates reached the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in November last year, but were beaten by Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia and a South African team hasn’t won the Champions League since the Buccaneers’ historic triumph in 1995.
Since then, both Sundowns and Pirates have reached three cup finals between them but failed to be crowned champions.
Meanwhile, Mashaba confirmed that the Ajax Cape Town duo of defender Rivaldo Coetzee and striker Prince Nxumalo have had to be withdrawn from the squad because of illness and a hamstring injury, respectively. The coach and his technical team are still working on replacement before Friday’s match at the Mbombela Stadium.
@superjourno