Modise urges Sundowns to plan for life after club captain Zwane

Mamelodi Sundowns must begin preparing for the eventual absence of Themba Zwane rather than waiting until the veteran retires, former midfielder Teko Modise has warned.

The issue of Sundowns’ ageing core was debated on the latest edition of the CarWash Podcast, as the club continues to compete on multiple fronts this season.

Modise, Brighton Mhlongo and Given Mashikinya discussed whether the age of Sundowns’ squad should be viewed as a weakness or an advantage. Modise said experienced players remained essential to helping younger members of the team develop.

“You need to have senior players within the team who were able to carry and help the youngsters to develop, because it’s important when we were young,” he said.

The subject has previously been acknowledged within the club. In 2020, then-Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane openly discussed the team’s average age, with Wayne Arendse, Andile Jali, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Zwane all aged over 30.

Mosimane’s plan was to recruit players under the age of 25 while also giving academy graduates a route into the first team.

Modise referred to that approach while highlighting the risks of delaying succession planning. He said Sundowns needed to identify and develop replacements before their senior players left.

“You can’t wait for Themba Zwane to retire and then say we need to find a replacement. You need to find a replacement right now; we need to be able to play Mamelodi Sundowns without [him] and still be able to survive,” Modise said.

Miguel Cardoso inherited a squad he considered almost overloaded with talent when he became coach. The Portuguese manager said his intention was to reduce its size without lowering standards, leaving the team with a smaller number of strong options in each position.

That process involved Sundowns releasing some players and sending others out on loan. Cardoso also recognised the challenge of combining developing youngsters with established figures such as Zwane and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

The podcast discussion also covered the recent injury problems affecting Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, along with the importance of integrating players into a team.

Mhlongo argued that senior players had to understand their responsibility beyond their own performances.

“You need those experienced players who also understand that there’s a role I play on the field in helping the player to become better technically and tactically,” he said.

Mashikinya placed the debate within the wider context of Bafana Bafana and the possible make-up of national-team squads. He pointed to the continuing value of experienced players such as Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.

“For me, personally, I feel like prime is ability and experience, because if you have an ability and you can’t really read the game, you can’t understand what’s happening, you don’t know the dynamics of the game, you are just naive,” he concluded.