Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango is delighted to see his name among the nominees for the 2018 Caf African Player of the Year.
The Ugandan national team skipper revealed that his coach Pitso Mosimane has pushed him to elevate his game to the highest level, but also admits he needs to keep working hard.
“It’s fantastic being nominated for the third time in a row. It shows that I have done a great job with the club and the national team, Onyango said on Sundowns' website.
“It keeps me motivated as a player. I hope some players also get motivated to be in such a pool of great players in the continent. If you do well, you get recognised like the way I have been recognised. Obviously I haven’t won it, but being among the best in the continent is massive for me,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Uganda skipper is currently nursing a knee injury which has ruled him out for a period of six to eight weeks.
Next Match
“It gives me confidence when coach Pitso gives me such motivation and he praises me. But at the same time I must work hard and show that I am the best as he says,” continued the former SuperSport United keeper.
“It keeps me on my toes because the people I work with – Reyaad (Pieterse), Thela (Ngobeni) and Kennedy (Mweene) push me to the limit. I must give my best all the time to be in goal. This makes me to be a better goalkeeper and better person,” said Onyango.
Moreover, Sundowns are yet to lose in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) this season and were recently drawn against Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup Last 32.
“It’s a great feeling that we haven’t lost a game but we can’t say that we are happy with the position we are in,” Onyango said.
“The other teams are still playing league games and they can go above us. If you have games in hand, it sometimes becomes a problem because the game pile up,” he admitted.
“Of course we haven’t lost but we also haven’t won that much. It’s a concern for us. We are trying our best to get the results. The moment we get on top of the table, we will be able to see how far we can go,” he concluded.
