George Maluleka SundownsBackpagepix

'Mamelodi Sundowns don't want to destroy anyone's career' - Mngqithi on Maluleka's situation

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has explained why George Maluleka has not been playing for the Premier Soccer League champions.

The midfielder has played only twice in the current season and the tactician said although they would have wanted to involve him more, that was not possible due to an injury he suffered.

"And we are not trying to destroy anyone’s career here," Manqoba said as per iDiski Times.

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"We want to see him help us, but unfortunately, he was not in the same situation that he is in now. In fact, he should have played more games than he has already, and hopefully, he will get a chance.

"George’s situation is a little unfortunate, I had a chat with him the other day because he has done tremendously well within the team.

"But the unfortunate part with George in the first round, and you can attest to that - when he was in the right moment to play and showing signs that he really wanted to take some part and score goals, and we wanted to use him at that time, but immediately when we were hoping to use him, when we were desperate at that time, he was injured. It was very unfortunate."

The coach further revealed he is impressed by Maluleka's progress and is hopeful the midfielder will recover fully and maybe play a pivotal role in the remaining part of the season.

"He has worked very hard if you can see his weights now, compared to when you arrived at the club, he has lost a lot of kilos and is looking very sharp," Mngqithi added.

"But the truth of the matter, he’s one of the most professional players I’ve ever worked with. He’s one of the most focused players that you can think of, and he’s got a lot of quality.

"Maybe he’ll come and help us when it matters most. Because I remember the season when we won the championship in 2013/2014, the team that we finished the season with was the team that never started—that’s when Cheeseboy [Mokoena] and [Elias] Pelembe came strong in the second half of the season.

"Possibly that will work because even at training he is looking excellent, and we know he might be frustrated as well that he has not played, but he understands the situation, and we understand the situation."

After 19 games, the Brazilians are at the top of the table, with a 14-point gap separating them from the second-placed Orlando Pirates.

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