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'I don't know if we're ready' - Pitso Mosimane

Sihle Ndebele Journalist
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed how health protocols have been a nightmare for his club's preparations for a return to action.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed how health protocols have been a nightmare for his club's preparations for a return to action.
Image: Veli Nhlapo

Normally, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane isn't short of confidence, but preparing his side under stringent coronavirus protocols seems to have divested him of his inherent buoyancy.

After a four-month break due to the coronavirus outbreak, Sundowns finally return to action by facing Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup semifinal at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (7.30pm).

Generally, Mosimane is pumped up for his side's upcoming fixtures, but during his virtual media conference yesterday, the Masandawana tactician lamented how Covid-19 has inconvenienced their preparations.

"For me to tell you we are ready, we know what to do and we know how we are going to handle this - I am not brave enough to say that," Mosimane said.

"I have read a lot of interviews from other coaches, saying they're ready for everything... I don't know if we're ready."

Mosimane narrated how adhering to health protocols has made their preparations a nightmare: "Training in small groups... strange things. Players sitting there, the other ones far away.

"We've done only one video analysis. And also on the video analysis, there's that social distancing... you wait for the second time because you can't be in a closed room."

The Brazilians mentor continued: "We had also players who couldn't train because they'd tested [positive] for Covid-19 and we didn't have them. We had to isolate them."

The chatty yet renowned coach also detailed how observing stringent Covid-19 guidelines has killed the team spirit.

"We don't have team spirit in the camp because we're eating within two hours, this one pops up, this one goes out. Sometimes you're alone in the dining hall. You can't make groups when you pray after training sessions," said Mosimane.

With the resumption of the PSL initially billed for July 15 and later August 1, Mosimane has explained how this saw his troops sustain injuries.

"What I know is, we started wrong type of training, thinking that we'd start on the 15th of July and then we overloaded players," Mosimane said.

"We then got some injuries and we thought it was August 1st which was suggested, obvious not officially, that we might start playing. Then we changed our focus from the 15th to the 1st and back to now where we are."

Ali Meza, Anele Ngcongca and Keletso Makgalwa are some of the players who are being assessed by doctors after sustaining injuries.

On the other hand, Mauricio Affonso could miss the rest of the campaign as he's stuck in his native Uruguay.

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