Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has shed light on why he made several changes against Maniema Union in the CAF Champions League group stage match.
The Brazilians played out to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home against Congolese side Maniema, a result that was not an ideal start to their continental campaign. The tie was staged at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night.
Some key players who were involved in the Carling Knockout Cup final against Magesi FC on Saturday were dropped.
This includes Bathusi Aubaas, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba, Peter Shalulile, and Mothobi Mvala. Moreover, Iqraam Rayners couldn’t play because of an injury.
To fill the gaps, the coach turned to less frequent starters such as Erwin Saavedra, Kobamelo Kodisang, Divine Lunga, Malibongwe Khoza, and Arthur Sales.
Mngqithi admitted that the quick turnaround between the Carling Knockout Cup final and the Champions League match made team selection a challenging task.
He explained that many of the players who were rested were physically fatigued, and some had minor injuries that could have worsened if they played.
MANQOBA MNGQITHI ON WHY SUNDOWNS MADE SEVERAL CHANGES AGAINST MANIEMA UNION
“I think we gave a very good account of ourselves,” said Mngqithi. “It was not easy from making the line-up, the tactics and everything else in trying to prepare for this game because, one – we did not have time, two – most of our players were loaded. Physically, we felt we might end up having injuries.
“So, it’s a win for us that we did not get injuries because that means we still have our full squad.
“Otherwise, we had a lot of players that could not take part in this match because they had some knuckling issues. Some with quads, some with hamstrings, some with groins.
“We had to try and juggle around and start a team that we felt was mobile enough to cause problems to this team.”
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