Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has stated that he is in a good space with star players Sipho Mbule and Andile Jali, who reportedly recently went to training under the influence of alcohol.
In recent weeks, it was reported that both Mbule and Jali were suspended by the club due to their ill-discipline. However, the issue has been resolved and the players are back in training with the rest of the squad.
“I’m in a very good space with the players. It’s a space that I have such huge admiration and respect for them beyond the responsibility of being a coach to them. I have incredible appreciation for each and every one of them for who they are as human beings,” he told 947 FM on Wednesday evening.
However, Mokwena believes there’s an instigator within the club that’s working with journalists. He believes internal issues that take place within the club should be solved in the club instead of being made public.
“As much as sports journalists and football journalists are there to do a certain job and that’s to try to get the stories out and maybe from a sensational perspective because that’s what sells at the moment, or whether with regards to likes on social media or whether with regards to newspapers for example. Their responsibility is to tell the story.
“But while I have clear appreciation and respect for that, I also have responsibilities, and my responsibility is to protect the football club. And, like any other family there are going to be internal affairs that happen and take place within the football club or within the family, but are not for the family or the leader of the family or whoever within the family [to tell the public about internal affairs],” he stated.
“What happens internally in the family must be solved within the family. Once you let the dirty linen outside you create a lot of tension and problems,” he ended.
Mbule has already played a match against Stellenbosch on the weekend, after the suspension while Andile Jali’s experience could be needed when Masandawana welcomes Al Ahly at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
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