Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has given a brief injury update on players who were able to work on their recovery, while also naming four players who worked extra-shifts during the FIFA World Cup break.
Masandawana returned to training earlier this week after Mokwena and the technical team of Steve Komphela, Manqoba Mngqithi, Wendell Robinson and Technical Director Flemming Berg went to Qatar for the first week of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Mokwena praised several of his players for staying behind at the club and using the break to work on their fitness.
“We’ve got some very good players and some very honest football players, and these are players that extreme professionals, but there are people that we really appreciate in the sense that you know, no whinging, no whining but, professionals,” he told the club’s media team.
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“Players like Bongani Zungu, players like Marcelo Allende, Gift Motupa, these are players that stay behind like Sipho Mbule, these are players that stay behind and worked a little bit harder on their physical condition.
“And also because the medical department with our physios, our biokineticists also sacrificed their time in not going on holiday, with the physical trainers and staying behind and trying to work on that. That is the spirit of Mamelodi Sundowns, the selflessness and this ability to put the club first and sacrifice a lot of time in assisting.”
Mokwena also gave an update on the club’s injury list, saying several players have stepped up their recovery and should return to the squad ahead of the resumption of the league at the end of December.
“And then there was players that you know come from injury like Terrence Mashego, for example, Peter Shalulile, Nasir, Haashim Domingo with something that was unfortunate that happened in the Carling Black Label, but also with Erwin Saavedra, these were players that managed to get a bit of catch up, and we tried to accelerate their recovery.
“So that hopefully by the time we resume the league towards the end of this month, we are able to have a more extensive list of players to be able to choose from.
“So it’s huge compliments not just to the players for sacrificing their time with their families and putting themselves at service for the club, but also incredible compliments and a sense of appreciation for the medical department and the conditioning department for sacrificing their time and working when everybody else was on a bit of a recess.”
Sundowns return to action on 31 December when they will hosts fifth-placed Orlando Pirates.
