Head coach Rulani Mokwena has detailed how the club are easing 17-year-old talent Siyabonga Mabena into the Mamelodi Sundowns senior side despite his obvious promise, suggesting that youngsters need to be treated like eggshells.
Mabena has so far played a total of 14 senior matches over two seasons at Chloorkop, and while the 17-year-old has shown great potential, Mokwena admitted to wanting to gradually blood him into a star-studded Sundowns squad.
Mabena did come off the bench in the 83rd minute against Moroka Swallows where Masandawana fluffed a two-goal advantage to settle for a point against Musa Nyatama’s Dube Birds.
The 17-year-old already boasts DStv Premiership and African Football League medals and was involved in this past weekend’s Nedbank Cup semi-final where Downs scraped through on penalties against the University of Pretoria.
His coach, Mokwena, is of the view that youngsters should be shielded while working hard on their development as budding talent like Mabena’s teammates, 19-year-old Ntandoyenkosi Nkosi and 17-year-old Kutlwano Letlhaku, are part of the club’s long-term succession plan.
READ: Resolute Moroka Swallows hold Mamelodi Sundowns to entertaining draw
“The feeling I have is that the youth of today think everything is easy. They have one good performance and think ‘Oh, I must start games now’.
“The other day we were complimenting Themba Zwane for making 400 appearances and we went down history lane. ‘Mshishi’ waited for nine months to make his Sundowns debut and then now you see the longevity,” said Mokwena.
“I tell the kids that they have incredible talent but [after]one good performance and they are on social media and on back pages, they stop working hard.
“I would rather have a longevity player than have a one-season wonder. I have seen one-season wonders so many times in my career, they just whistle away. I try to keep them on the edge,” Mokwena added.
Former Sundowns attacking midfielder, Khayelihle Shozi, is one of the players who have gone off the rails after what was a promising start to his career.
Shozi left Downs to join TS Galaxy in 2019 before he was shipped out to JDR Stars where he spent some time on loan. Upon his return to the Rockets, Shozi went AWOL, and images of him circulated on social media where he appeared as though he was living in the streets.
Mokwena suggests that the fame of donning the jersey of the defending DStv Premiership champions may become overwhelming and has the potential to lead the youngsters astray.
“They’ve got to understand that life is hard and things are not handed out to them. This is why these kids breakdown and the only way that they try to support themselves is through substance abuse and then you ask yourself what happened.
“Sometimes you have to be the one who develops the hardships intentionally so that they understand the journey of a professional footballer is not easy, it is tough. When I look at them and I see the desire and the appetite, they will play,” said Mokwena.
He added: “There is an interesting story of Cristiano Ronaldo – he took his son to where he grew up and where he slept, and the son said the father was lying. Society is completely against the upbringing and the welfare of these kids, and that’s my feeling, it’s not the same feeling for every coach.
“I’ve got to continue with Ntando and Mabena, because these kids have got incredible potential, but you’ve got to dim the light yourself because no one else is going to.”
Meanwhile, after an eventful Premiership match against the Dube Birds, Sundowns now shift their focus to the continental as they gear up for a trip to Tunisia to take on Esperance in the first-leg of the Caf Champions League this Saturday.
Drama at Dobsonville Stadium as Mhango equalises for Swallows 👀👇
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) April 15, 2024
What are your thoughts on this? 💭#DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/hFiR1dw3fP
