Former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has shied away from commenting on Themba Zwane not featuring in the CAF Champions League final, opting to give respect to the player for being a top professional.
Despite playing a pivotal role in Sundowns winning an unprecedented eighth consecutive Betway Premiership title, the silky maestro, did not taste a single minute in the final.
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Mokwena, who recently parted ways with Wydad Athletic Club, gave a hint that he would have given Mshishi a run because he represents the township football that a lot of kids can relate to.
“Yeah, it’s always has been that,” he said on Soccer Africa.
“But I don’t want to talk about it because I think I have expressed my feelings about how I feel about Mshishi and everybody knows.
“Mshishi is special, and there’s more to just Mshishi being successful. Mshishi is a reflection of that – from the dusty streets of Tembisa to playing for Vardos, to going through difficulties and then, I mean how many seasons as a top professional?
“These type of people have to succeed for football to be better and stronger because we have to get back to that culture of playing street football.
“And when people have done that and have succeeded, it speaks to motivate the kids in the townships.
“Over and above whether or not he should be playing, I think that’s always something that is up to the coach.
“But I would always take my hat off and give Mshishi big respect because he speaks to the South African child. The Neo who is in Tembisa instead of going into the corners and really being overcome by so many social ills, he gets motivated when he says ‘hey I used to watch Themba Zwane playing on the street barefooted and there he is already going to the Club World Cup, Champions League’ – he serves as an inspiration for many.
“I don’t know [on playing Zwane] because the dynamics are completely different.
“I think always the team, the coach they always try, of course in the final you always try and put your best team and I’m sure there’s mitigating factors that maybe from within we might not be privy to.
“But you know as a Sundowns coach, nine out of 10 times I played Mshishi.”
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