Mngqithi On Nasir & Allende Progresss

Despite losing 2-1 to SuperSport United on Friday, Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach praised new signings Abubeker Nasir and Marcelo Allende, as Masandawana handed both players starts.

Gavin Hunt’s team frustrated the defending champions on Friday to take home all three points, as Sundowns suffered their second defeat of the season.

But Manqoba Mngqithi was complimentary of his new signings and said it was important for them to be integrated into the setup and get used to the pace of South African football.

“I think Nasir played very well, I think he created a lot of very good moments, even first half, unfortunately, not to score, got himself into very dangerous positions, he’s still going to help us a lot,” Mngqithi said at the post-match press conference.

“For Marcelo, it was important for him to start the match so that he also knows the speed of our game in South Africa. Because sometimes when you come in as a substitute, it’s easy for people to already put you on the podium. And when you start the game and the intensity of the South African match, is the integration that he needed.

“He did not perform bad, he had very good moments first half, but he was a little bit off pace, in terms of the speed of the game, first half. But his performance is good enough to suggest that he’s going to be very important for us.

“But it was always going to be important for us to give him a start because it will always leave a false impression when he always comes in late in the game when the opposition is tired. And he will start to believe that the opposition in South Africa is at that level, in terms of intensity.”

In this edition of iDiski Times, we talk to Sibusiso Mabiliso who talks about his time at Kaizer Chiefs and how he feels he didn’t really get the chance to show what he was capable of. We also hear from African football legend Yaya Toure, who discusses the significance of Benni McCarthy’s appointment at Manchester United as well as his ambitions to help grow the game. Get this and a whole lot more in the full edition below: