Mamelodi Sundowns to assess injury concerns before MTN8 final

Mamelodi Sundowns will assess the fitness of their returning Bafana Bafana players before Saturday’s MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas missed South Africa’s friendly against Egypt at the weekend because of injury, while Aubrey Modiba recovered sufficiently to take part in the national team’s final training session before the match. However, the left-back was not included in the matchday squad.

Modiba is expected to be available for Sundowns’ meeting with Orlando Pirates, but Mokoena will undergo further checks before a decision is made on his involvement.

The indications are that Mokoena’s injury is not serious, offering Sundowns hope that the midfielder will be fit to play in the final. Aubaas, however, is unlikely to recover in time, which could leave coach Miguel Cardoso with a shortage of options in midfield.

Sundowns players return from international duty

Bafana Bafana arrived back home in the early hours of Monday morning, meaning the Sundowns contingent is expected to have its first full training session with the club on Wednesday morning.

That will give Cardoso and his technical team only a few days to evaluate the players and prepare for the MTN8 showpiece in Durban.

In addition to Mokoena, Aubaas and Modiba, the Sundowns players who were part of the national team squad were Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Thabang Matuludi, Thapelo Morena, Khulumani Ndamane, Fawaaz Basadien, Themba Zwane, Tashreeq Matthews, Cassius Mailula and Themba Zwane.

The entire group will be assessed after reporting back to the club.

Sundowns are not expected to face major fatigue concerns ahead of the final because none of their players featured in all three of Bafana Bafana’s matches against Guinea, Eritrea and Egypt.

The club’s technical team will nevertheless manage the returning internationals carefully following their journey back from Egypt, with the aim of ensuring they are ready for Saturday’s meeting with the Buccaneers.