Coach cries foul after Downs players return from Afcon nursing injuries

Mamelodi Sundowns will play the penultimate round of the Caf Champions League group stage away to Mauritanian side Nouadhibou without some of their stars who shone for Bafana Bafana at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena listed central defender Mothobi Mvala and right-back Khuliso Mudau among players who will miss the Group A match at Stade Cheikha Ould Boïdiya in Nouakchott on Saturday (6pm SA time).

Both are still nursing knocks they sustained in Bafana’s run to third place at the tournament in the Ivory Coast.

Mokwena revealed this after Downs’ 6-1 Nedbank Cup last 32 victory against the Motsepe Foundation Championship side La Masia at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday night, where Uruguayan Gaston Sirino scored a hat-trick. Only left-back Terrence Mashego featured in Tuesday’s game from the 10 Sundowns players who were at Afcon with Bafana.

Bafana captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and Thapelo Morena were in Sundowns’ starting XI in the ill-tempered 1-1 Premier Soccer League draw against Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.

Mudau, Mvala, Themba Zwane, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena and Thapelo Maseko have not turned out for Sundowns yet since returning from the Nations Cup. 

“Some of it is not even by choice,” Mokwena said. “Mothobi is out and will probably be out for six to eight weeks. ‘Sailor’ [Mudau] is out and will probably be out for about six to eight weeks also, and we know that when he got injured [at Afcon] he still played, which disappoints me a bit. 

"‘Ronza’ [Williams] is struggling with a shoulder injury and we tried to rest him to give him some time off. ‘Mshishi’ [Zwane] has also got a bit of a niggle.

“So with some of the players who came from Bafana it is not even about whether we want to give them a break or not. We just can’t use them at all because they’ve returned with some serious injuries.

“But it is what it is and we have to try to use the rest of the squad and we saw today [against La Masia], and we saw against Pirates, that they [Downs’ fringe players] have the quality to compete and help the team. That is the responsibility they all have.”

Sundowns lead the Champins League’s Group A by goal difference (though head to head is what counts in Confederation of African Football competitions) over second-placed Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe, with both sides on seven points after four matches.

Mokwena would like to complete the double over Nouadhibou so Downs don’t have as much pressure to win when they host Mazembe in their last group match at FNB Stadium on March 2.