Mamelodi Sundowns star Cassius Mailula opens up on Belgium failure: 'You can never doubt the talent'

Cassius Mailula has opened up about the rollercoaster journey that eventually led him back to the familiar surroundings of Mamelodi Sundowns.

After a highly publicised move to Major League Soccer with Toronto FC and a subsequent loan spell at KV Kortrijk in Belgium, the talented attacker found himself struggling for consistent game time.

Reflecting on his time in the Belgian Pro League, Mailula admitted that while it was a testing period, he values the opportunity he was given to test himself in a different environment.

"It was not an easy period in Belgium but I think I'm happy that I got the experience, I got to learn a lot in that environment. I'm just also happy that I got to be in Europe, not a lot of players get that opportunity to go to Europe,” Mailula told Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified with host Andile Ncube.

The core of Mailula's frustration seems to stem from a perceived lack of tactical planning from the clubs that acquired his services.

The striker believes that for a player to truly succeed, the coaching staff and management must have a clear vision of how to integrate their specific skill set into the team's existing structure.

Mailula was vocal about the importance of a club understanding a player's profile before signing them.

"From my perspective I think it's a matter of a club having a plan around you, knowing when they want you, how are they going to use you because they know my quality before I come to the club already that's why they wanted me," he said.

Despite the difficulties faced at Toronto FC and later at Kortrijk, Mailula’s confidence appears unshaken.

He remains adamant that his natural ability is sufficient to compete at the highest level, provided he is placed in a system that values his contributions.

Addressing the doubts that inevitably arise during a period of inactivity, Mailula remained defiant about his footballing pedigree.

"The rest, you can never doubt the talent, the talent is obviously there. It's just a matter of getting that opportunity and for me to grab it," he told host Andile Ncube.

The lack of meaningful involvement at the Belgian Pro League club was a particular point of contention for Mailula, who felt he was never truly given the platform to justify his price tag. He highlighted that he was often part of the matchday squads but rarely seen on the pitch, a situation he found difficult to stomach as a competitive athlete.

"Every player wants to do well, obviously when you are in an environment where this is what you've always wanted you want to show the world that you can do it and also you want to make sure that the club that brought you to the team, you make sure that you give them something.

“You just don't want to be there just to be on a holiday, you want to contribute to the team.

“I think it's three or four games, I'm not quite sure about how many minutes I even got because mostly I was always in the team but just not given a chance, that's what I'm saying.

“If you want a player in your club, you bring him and you use him, know how you are going to use him, also for me to know that when I'm coming to the club, how we will work around what I have," he concluded.