Downs pair in a Cup fitness race
RIBEIRO: MOKWENA POINTS TO LATE SEASON FATIGUE
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has allayed fears over the injury to Lucas Ribeiro while also giving a positive update on Teboho Mokoena, who has missed the last seven games with a hamstring injury.
The Brazilians will be hoping both players recover in time for next month’s all-important Nedbank Cup final against old rivals Orlando Pirates at the Mbombela Stadium.
Mokwena will need all the firepower in his arsenal against the Buccaneers, who got the better of them in the MTN8 Cup final earlier this season. Ribeiro picked up what looked like a hamstring injury in a DStv Premiership encounter against Golden Arrows on Wednesday and left the field in tears.
“I’m not sure, but let me put this into context a little bit because people ask me about the volume of games.
“Do you know who pulled a hamstring in the last game? It was Zakhele Siwela (PSL assistant referee). Count how many games Zakhele has actually done domestically and internationally,” Mokwena said before giving an update on two of his star players.
“If an assistant referee gets injured because of the volume of games, what about the players? Lucas Ribeiro’s injury is just a consequence of the number of games we have to play but I don’t think it’s that serious though.
“Tebza (Teboho Mokwena) is coming on very nicely and it’s just a matter of risk management. Maybe had we not qualified for the final (Nedbank Cup), he would have probably played some of the games now but we have to weigh things up but he’s coming on nicely.”
Having already captured the league title, the challenge is for Masandawana to keep their unbeaten run intact in the remaining five games.
Their next game is a home tie against Royal AM at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow.
“I want to see a team that I’ve seen the whole season and a team that is playing well and respects the game by trying its best to win football matches. We have to take it game-by-game and do our best to win,” added Mokwena.