Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says their run of 60 games in 2021 should serve as a reminder to their critics about the size of their first-team squad.
Sundowns have 35 players registered to the squad for the 2021/22 season while Mokwena himself suggested one or two more arrive in the January window – which will help the club in the second half of the season.
While he also maintained some of the younger players may be loaned out to gain regular first-team football, he praised the current squad for carrying the incredibly demanding fixture schedule in their record-breaking year.
“Everyone talks… Sundowns has too many players but this is the reason why you have too many players, I mean a part from having played the seven games in 19, 20 days. You also speak about the team who played the most matches in a calendar year,” he told the media.
“We played 60 matches, that’s two league seasons in one year. It’s incredible if you look at the number of minutes that they played. Mshishi have played 1844 minutes, AJ has played 2042. Peter [Shalulile] has played 2274 minutes, that’s the most of player averages in a season already, that’s two seasons in half a season.
“Thapelo, 1175, Lyle 1995, Denis 1656 minutes. Then you still have these incredible records of the side with the goalkeepers keeping the most clean sheets, with Peter the most goals and tied in a calendar year.
“So it’s been a year that very difficult for this team but a year they’ve carried with aplomb, with conviction and integrity and protecting the club – so at this moment this is what we need to reflect on and appreciate.”
Sundowns lead the DStv Premiership table by 14 points ahead of second-placed Orlando Pirates at the mid-way point of the season while they are set to compete in the CAF Champions League group stages next year.
