Following the departures of George Lebese and Jeremy Brockie from Mamelodi Sundowns on transfer deadline day, former defender Jethro Mohlala has challenged players to fight harder when they join big Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs.
Mohlala has also urged the likes of Lucky Mohomi and Aubrey Ngoma not to take their lack of game time negatively, stating he is speaking from experience.
‘Lovers’ spoke to Goal after the Brazilians loaned out ‘Sniper’ to Maritzburg United whilst Lebese was released. Mohomi, Ngoma and Ali Meza were registered for the 2019/20 season despite their lack of game time under Pitso Mosimane.
“On Jeremy, let me start by saying sometimes you can do well for your previous club and it is not a guarantee that you will continue to do well at a club like Sundowns,” Mohlala told Goal.
“He was doing exceptionally well at SuperSport United but it was unfortunate for him to struggle at Sundowns. I think in his case, it was a matter of not adjusting to Sundowns style of play,” he added.
“Coming to George, I can say something similar that joining a big club is always a dream come true but the players also have to ask and challenge themselves, can I play there, can I compete for a place?
“It is pressure at Sundowns, there is quality and there is no doubt about that. Sometimes you will get 10 minutes and it is up to you to push and challenge yourself to impress and ensure you will possibly get a chance in the next game – you need to be consistent when you join such a big club.
“I am not too sure about Meza, the boy from Venezuela because I was hoping he would get a loan deal and show us what he’s capable of doing,” reacted the legend.
When asked about the former Cape Town City star and the former Free State Stars midfielder, Mohlala has also shared his advice.
“Sometimes things can go wrong after joining a big club and I can use myself as an example. I joined Sundowns hoping to impress and play, but I sat on the bench,” continued the former Bafana Bafana defender.
“I never gave up and managed to eventually get my chance. Another example is Percy Tau, he was loaned out to the National First Division [NFD] and he grabbed his chance with both hands.
“He came back and played, he is in Europe now and will play in the Uefa Champions League. Is that not motivating enough?
“It’s not always good to comment and complain about your situation in the media that you are not playing, after all, you were not signed by the media but by the club. Sundowns is not a small team and you must fight very hard to play.
“I think Mohomi was given an opportunity, sometimes it doesn’t mean you have to play for 90 minutes. 10 minutes should be enough to impress the coach and the fans that you have the quality to play for Sundowns.
“It depends on what you are doing in those 10 minutes you get. I can tell you that some players can score two goals in 10 minutes and the coach cannot bench that player in the next match.
“Another example is Lebohang Maboe, we know what he did at Maritzburg and he came to Sundowns, he continued to fight and grow his football. It’s a bit challenging for him now because he is converted to a number nine and I hope he will adjust quickly and become the best in that position,” concluded the former Wits University left-back.
