Mamelodi Sundowns await Teboho Mokoena fitness verdict for CAF Super Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns will make a late decision on Teboho Mokoena’s availability for Sunday’s CAF Super Cup match against USM Alger after the midfielder suffered a recurrence of an injury sustained while on Bafana Bafana duty last month.

Mokoena remains short of full fitness, according to coach Miguel Cardoso, who says the club will not risk the player’s health for the continental showpiece.

Sundowns welcome last season’s CAF Confederation Cup winners to Loftus Versfeld, with the hosts seeking a third trophy this season after lifting the MTN8 and FIFA Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup.

Cardoso said Mokoena’s condition would continue to be assessed before the match.

“Look, we cannot risk the health of a player and that’s our role here, it’s to protect the players. Let’s see how things will progress, obviously we’d like to have them ready for the biggest matches,” he said.

“I think we have players that are doing well in those positions that we trust. We had a big setback with Teboho as you understood publicly, he didn’t come even close to being in good condition when he came from the national team, he came injured.

“It was very important that we could play him in that final of the MTN8 but then an unfortunate situation where he was just standing on one leg. He had contact and of course there was a small thing there on the leg but it’s the second time, same leg, same thing.”

Cardoso said Mokoena had undergone extensive treatment and appeared in good spirits during training, although his ability to play remained uncertain.

“Let’s see, lots of work has been done on him, you saw him smiling today with the team and dancing there on the pitch. I think his mood is okay, his capacity to play, let’s see because that’s a long process there.

“Let’s see how he can come back or when he can come back, ofcourse, that’s a worry that we have because we need to protect him.”

The midfielder is not the only important Sundowns player whose fitness is a concern, with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams also sidelined by an injury.

Cardoso said Williams was dealing with a similar problem and that the club was working to return him to full condition without exposing him to further risk.

“Ronza has a similar injury, he also has been struggling and we are doing our best to have him in proper conditions because we need to protect these players. I think with a little bit of time, everything will be okay.”