Mosimane bemoans congested calendar

Pitso Mosimane has said it before that the Caf Champions League is the “grand slam” and any other cup competition will always fall down the pecking order when it comes to prioritising what silverware to gun for.

The Telkom Knockout is one such competition that the Mamelodi Sundowns coach seems to show less enthusiasm towards as it will clash with the upcoming Caf Champions League. The continent’s premium club competition is set to kick off the 2019 edition in November and this for Mosimane will be a “problem”.

“The TKO clashes with the Champions League, which starts in a few weeks’ time and that has an impact for us,” said Mosimane.

“We are also two games behind in terms of the league schedule and it becomes a problem and we must also understand that there are international games. We have four players with Bafana Bafana and another six playing for their countries and that becomes a problem,” Mosimane (above) explained as his side prepare to face last season’s runners-up Bloemfontein Celtic at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

The MTN8 is another scenario where Mosimane felt he had to rest his key players in the first-leg semifinal against Cape Town City, as he had a do-or-die clash against Horoya in the Champions League, which they drew, bombing out of the continental spectacle.

“It is going to be difficult because cup games are always a little bit of a problem. If you look at the MTN8, it clashed with the Champions League and that is why we had different starting line-ups when we played in Cape Town, so that will also have an effect on the result,” said Mosimane.

“All the cups, even the Nedbank Cup also clashes with the Champions League,” he added.

Downs have had a busier schedule than anyone else in the league which is evident in the Absa Premiership standings as they, together with Maritzburg United, have played the least number of games.

“It is never easy for us because there will never be a time where we play a Telkom match on the weekend without having played in midweek – that will always be a challenge.”