Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has compared the talent of 16-year old midfielder Siyabonga Mabena to the late Gift Leremi.
Mabena made headlines on Tuesday after making his debut for Sundowns at 16 years and 24 days, becoming one of the youngest players to make a debut in the PSL, in a 5-1 thrashing of Royal AM.
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Mokwena has pleaded with the media not to praise Mabena too highly and too early, after the lessons he got from Augustine Mahlonoko, who could not live up to expectations at Orlando Pirates, during his stay at the Soweto giants.
"In think the last player I saw with so much... I just hope I don't jinx him and I ask also, like I asked with Cassius (Mailula), be patient, he still has so much... Don't put him here (gestures high), keep him (down)," Mokwena said in a press conference.
"This is why the youngsters stay out a little bit because I try to keep them out of the limelight and I'm rotating them a lot because I'm protecting them from what we've seen in the past.
"And I've learned this thing with Augustine Mahlonoko because I was also involved in giving him that space, so patience with Mabena," he said.
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Mokwena, however, could not resist to make comparisons with the former Pirates star Leremi, after he was pressed to expand on his first statement, that he has not seen a talent like that since which player."
The late Gift Leremi, what the late Gift Leremi had is what I see (in Mabena), the balance, left foot, right foot, change of direction at speed, very difficult in control," he said.
"But of course 'Vava Voom' was something special but I think this boy also has got so many characteristics like the late Gift and I hope its not a crown too heavy for him to carry," he added.
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