Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has recently weighed in on the debate surrounding the club’s apparent narrowing of the pool of Bafana Bafana players by benching some of the best talents in the country.
Currently, players such as goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse, Lesedi Kapinga, Rivaldo Coetzee, Bongani Zungu, Lebohang Maboe, Gift Motupa and Thabiso Kutumela are struggling to break into the team.
In an interview with Metro FM, Mokwena argued that a player does not have to be a regular feature in their club to be selected for the national team, citing Manchester United defender Harry Maguire as an example.
Maguire is a regular starter for England, despite not playing much for United. The coach also used Andile Jali and Themba Zwane as examples, noting that they were two of the best players in the league last season, yet were not selected for Bafana.
He also highlighted Khuliso Mudau, who was playing exceptionally well for Black Leopards but was not a national team player until recently. Mokwena concluded that there are two sides to the story and it all depends on which perspective one takes.
