Johannesburg — Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena says he has advised striker Cassius Mailula to walk barefooted a lot as that will keep him grounded.
Mailula is enjoying a fantastic debut season in the Premiership after a spell with the reserves. He has scored nine goals in 15 matches across all competitions this term.
His scoring prowess has inspired Sundowns to an unprecedented 15 league wins in a row as they lead the chasing pack by a whopping 23 points.
But Mokwena, who has been pleading with the masses to avoid putting pressure on the 21-year-old striker, has detailed what keeps him grounded.
“I just tell him to walk barefooted like I tell most of my players. I tell them to take off their shoes and walk barefooted a lot. That helps,” Mokwena said.
“I do a lot of barefoot walking myself. It helps with earthing and grounding. It’s important. It’s part of my routine and it’s advice that I give to the players.”
Mailula scooped the man-of-the-match award after scoring the only goal when Sundowns beat Orlando Pirates 1-0 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
He will want to continue with those exploits when they host Richards Bay in the Nedbank Cup last 32 at Loftus on Tuesday.
But Mokwena know that Richards Bay, who have had a fantastic debut season in the top flight won't be walkovers.
“My headspace is on the fixture against Richards Bay. I wouldn’t have kept myself up all night if I wasn’t focusing on Richards Bay,” Mokwena said.
IOL Sport