Mamelodi Sundowns may be seen as a club that spends big on recruiting top talent from in and outside the country, but don't be surprised to see more young talent getting first team opportunities in the near future.
Head coach Rulani Mokwena has shown that he is not afraid to give the club products an opportunity, with 16-year-old Siyabonga Mabena recently getting a chance to show what he can do alongside some of the biggest stars in South African football, such as Themba Zwane, Teboho Mokoena, Marcelo Allende and Peter Shalulile.
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"We are very proud of the work that the academy is doing and very proud of the investment and hours they put in to try produce good players for us. We are proud and appreciative of the investment from the Motsepe family because that's what helps the academy to keep going," Mokwena told media during a Nedbank Cup press conference held at the PSL headquarters in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Thursday afternoon.
"There is a bright future ahead for these kids. Cassius is now the flag bearer in a way and he has done extremely well. Mkhulise is probably the more experienced of the players who come from the academy, so we have some very good work that is being done in the past and currently and there is still quite a lot to be seen from Ntando (Nkosi), Thando (Buthelezi) and you've seen Jerome (Karelse) a little in the first team and in the DDC. He's got incredible potential.
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"But, like I say with the younger ones, you need to be very careful. Let's not hype them too much. Let's allow them to dream of getting there and to also understand that no so much of what modern society gives you, which is this instant gratification...life is about hardships and working hard to get what you want. Sometimes we have to teach these lessons and allow these young ones to make mistakes to grow and to get to a level where they can shine."
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