Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has grown wiser. Or so it seems.
He is far from that, big-spending ambitious coach who went on the rampage by acquiring every hot player in the PSL.
Though Mosimane has the latitude of a massive financial backing courtesy of Downs’ billionaire owner Patrice Motsepe’s chequebook that knows no limits, he has resisted the temptation of buying even though there are seasoned campaigners free on the market. Top players – Itumeleng Khune and Tefu Mashamaite, who were let go by Kaizer Chiefs, are currently unattached and in an ideal world, Mosimane would have pounced on them.
Both Khune and Mashamaite’s exit from Naturena had to do with their lofty financial demands. Finances are no stress for Mosimane, who has signed just one player in the current transfer window, but the Downs coach says there’s a lot to consider. He indicated that affording a player like Khune had to do with more than finances.
“They are good players. I believe Khune is the No1 ‘keeper in the country. But if you want to sign a player, you must also afford him. I am not saying we can’t afford him but it must be market related. (Elias) Pelembe had to leave and get a pay cut at Bidvest Wits. I wish he could have got a pay cut here.
“But it’s tough. This is to show that people must play for their money and it must be market related. South African players must really understand that it’s difficult. We have seen people been given clearances at big teams,” said Mosimane.
“People are now going to smaller teams for less money. There’s competition. The younger ones are pushing and if you don’t play for your money you find yourself not having a team and you try for other teams and they can’t afford you. It’s a problem.”
Sundowns are by far the best paying team in the country and luring any player in the PSL shouldn’t be a challenger for them.
But Mosimane says there’s a need to justify earning the big bucks. He is of the view that the payslip and contribution on the pitch ought to correspond.
“People must play for their money. And things are tough now. Look at the big teams – players are let go. It’s not that they are no good but the number of minutes you play and the amount of money you earn need to correspond.”
Over the weekend, the former Bafana Bafana coach, led Sundowns to victory in the Charity Showdown at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Mosimane used over 30 players in two matches as he is using the pre-season to see which players will do duty for his side next season.
“The pre-season will tell us. But I don’t want big numbers of players which is why we have been quiet in the market,” said Mosimane, whose only signing so far has been Kenyan striker Abdul Razak from Sofapaka FC. - The Star