Mamelodi Sundowns have confirmed that George Maluleka has been ruled out of their Nedbank Cup fixture against Mathaithai FC.
Maluleka has been limited to just 15 minutes of first-team football this season in a fiercely contested midfield at the reigning South African champions.
It appeared likely that the 33-year-old would get a chance in the Nedbank Cup tie against Mathaithai on Tuesday afternoon after co-coach Rulani Mokwena confirmed rotation would take place to freshen up the squad.
“The reality is that the selection is made on merit, and we try to reward players who deserve to play.
“We have been doing some rotation in the past couple of weeks, and we will put out the best team today because we would not want to weaken it,” said Mokwena.
“He’s available for selection. George is a football player, and like every other footballer, he wants to be on the pitch and has come very close to being part of the line-up in several games and making the 18-man squad.
“He has to be patient in the same way that Brian Onyango was. Mothobi Mvala had to show a lot of patience, and we can say the same about Devine Lunga and Aubrey Modiba.”
However, the former Kaizer Chiefs star was a notable omission from the matchday squad and Sundowns have confirmed that he was ruled out of the match.
Despite missing the chance to start a game for Sundowns, Mokwena’s words in the pre-match press conference would serve as a motivator for ‘Mido’ and the rest of the fringe players in the squad.
“The reality is that when you have a squad like this, you have to try and push yourself, and that is what George has been doing,” Mokwena explained on Monday.
“He has done the most difficult thing that a footballer can do, and that is to come to training, work extremely hard, put a smile on your face, even when you know when there is a huge possibility that you might not make the squad.
“That is very difficult, but George does that consistently, and that shows his level of experience and maturity.
“Good things come to good people, and I am sure that when he gets his opportunity, he will most certainly grab it with both hands.”
Maluleka has made 16 appearances for Sundowns across all competitions, registering two assists since his arrival in January 2020.
