Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has questions Teboho Mokoena’s suspension ahead of their major clash with Orlando Pirates, but also opened up on how the Bafana Bafana points deduction affected the midfielder.
Mokoena, 28, has been an ever-present figure in the Sundowns line-up as one of the clear leaders in the team.
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However, he will miss the Betway Premiership clash with Pirates on Saturday after picking up a fourth yellow card in the 121st minute in their Carling Knockout Cup defeat to Marumo Gallants.
Ahead of the blockbuster clash with Pirates, Cardoso questioned the yellow card which led to Mokoena’ suspension.
“It’s also very coincident that in the last minute of a match he gets a yellow card and we play Pirates after that, I believe in coincidents,” Cardoso stated.
“I just hope that the ones we’re gonna feature or put to play are on the height of him.”
Mokoena Was Affected By FIFA Points Deduction
Cardoso then opened up on the head space of Mokoena, explaining how deeply affected he was by the points deduction of Bafana due to the midfielder being fielded against Lesotho despite being suspended.
“I think it’s clear for everybody that Teboho had a very difficult moment in his personal life due to the situation he had to deal with,” he added.
“No one would like to keep his name, despite he had no responsibility, associated with the situation that would have touched the country for history.
“And until his last day of life with something negative. I think that after the qualification of Bafana Bafana for the World Cup, it’s clear that Teboho is another man and we feel so happy because of that.
“It’s a human question that was on the table and it was clear for everybody that Teboho was not in the best place.
“But now we feel him happy, we feel him communicating, we feel him smiling. And I believe that the best Teboho Mokoena will come in the next matches again to help us because he is a leader also for us, he is an important player.
“And someone we like too much as a boy, he is a father of a family also, so he was for sure not a happy man in the last months.”
Sundowns take on Pirates at Loftus Versfeld at 15:30 on Saturday, with tickets officially being sold out. Masandawana currently lead the table with 21 points from 10 games, three ahead of Pirates, who have two games in hand.
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