Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane feels that the MultiChoice Diski Challenge should allow players over the age of 21 to play in the reserve league.
The Brazilians booked their place in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals after beating Vaal University of Technology 2-0 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday through goals from Wayne Arendse and Phakamani Mahlambi.
However, Mosimane believes the age-limit rule in the MultiChoice Diski Challenge should change as some of his players struggle for regular game time.
‘It’s not easy [playing everbody], because the challenge is, we don’t have enough games for them to play and be active, it’s the same thing I speak about and not for Sundowns [only] but for everybody,’ Mosimane told SuperSport TV after the game.
‘To say, I understand the MDC [MultiChoice Diski Challenge] and the MDC has been very good, it has provided us with Nico, [Sphelele] Mkhulise, Keletso [Makgalwa], which is brilliant but when you don’t allow players who are above 21 to play they don’t have game time, you know.
‘So that’s the only thing, as much as it is good we’re promoting a lot of youngsters, it gives younger players a chance to play [in the senior team] but look for me it’s a reserve league, hey, even everywhere in Europe it allows three or four players of the senior team to play and it was like that before.
‘Then, where are they going to get the time to play with the schedule that Mamelodi Sundowns have? And it’s not only for me, all the teams, we’re carrying 30 players, 33, so when they have to come and play, they are rusty, it’s normal.
‘You could see Sammy [Seabi] was struggling to get the ball out, it’s not easy. They are good football players but it’s difficult, so they need more game time.
‘But I’m happy that we went through [to the next round] and there’s been a lot of talk here, too much talk but it’s OK. What is important is to beat the students and they must lose against us and we progress. But they are a good team.’
Mosimane added that youngster Nicholus Likhubeni still needs time to learn and grow after conceding a penalty in the second half.
‘Nico is a young player, he’s allowed to make these mistakes, he’s paying his school fees. It’s normal, he’s still going to make another one like that. It’s OK, he learns. He played well against Chippa and scored a good goal, he’s been learning, we need to give him time to grow. We don’t have to kill him for these things, we must show him the mistakes. It’s OK.’
