Downs gives its Bafana Bafana players a rest
Tiyani Mabunda, captain Hlompho Kekana and the attacking trio of Themba Zwane, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Lebohang Maboe will be allowed to take at least two weeks off.
Mamelodi Sundowns have given its five players that represented Bafana Bafana at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt time off, the club said recently.
Tiyani Mabunda, captain Hlompho Kekana and the attacking trio of Themba Zwane, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Lebohang Maboe will be allowed to take at least two weeks off before rejoining their teammates for pre-season training.
The five were part of the Bafana team that reached the Afcon quarter-finals earlier this month
While the rest of the Sundowns players have already returned and are in Mpumalanga until Saturday, the five are only expected back in the country this weekend.
Mabunda is the only Downs player who did not get any minutes, while Kekana featured for the full 90 minutes against Namibia and was then used off the bench against Morocco and Egypt. He was an unused sub against Nigeria, who beat Bafana 2-1 in the quarterfinals last Wednesday night.
Zwane started all the group matches – against Ivory Coast, Namibia and Morocco – but was suspended for the last 16 clash against the hosts and returned as a second half substitute in the defeat to the Super Eagles.
ALSO READ: NEWSFLASH: Violence at Pirates vs Sundowns game
Vilakazi beat the odds to recover from a serious injury last October while on national team duty to make coach Stuart Baxter’s Afcon squad and managed to play a role in Bafana’s quarterfinal. “Vila” also featured in all the group stage matches before making the bench against Egypt.
Sundowns top league goal scorer last season, Maboe, was among several debutants at Afcon with a starting place in his only game at the tournament in the opener against Ivory Coast.
“The five joined the national team on June 3, hence did not have an adequate break. In managing their load, the club has agreed to give them rest to refresh and recuperate before our opening game of the 2019/20 season, which is scheduled for August 3,” the club said.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
