RULANI MOKWENA SAYS SIYABONGA MABENA HAS TOO FAR TO GO
Mabena, the emerging 17-year-old sensation for Mamelodi Sundowns, made another thrilling outing last week against the University of Pretoria. The effort immediately drew similarities to the soaring Mofokeng (19) of the Orlando Pirates. Mokwena claims that the conversation is completely invalid.
According to Mokwena, via iDiskiTimes, “the environments are completely different, number one, and number two is; the feeling I have is that the youth of today thinks everything is easy, it’s just one good performance, oh I must start now.”
“We walked down memory lane the other day and complimented Mshishi on his 400 appearances. You know how many months he waited for his debut after signing with Sundowns? Nine! After nine months, the longevity is evident.
“I tell the youngsters they are really talented, but the issue is that after one outstanding performance, the player quits practicing hard and ends up on the back pages of social media. And I’d much rather have [Mshishi] or other long-term players than one-season standouts.
The former Orlando Pirates coach said, “I try to keep them on the edge, good performances, because I’ve seen them so many times in my career—these one-season wonders and then they just whistle away.”
“In an interview, [Robin] van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo were talking to their sons. Ronaldo took his son to Madeira, Portugal, where he grew up, showing him his bedroom and childhood home. His son said, ‘You’re lying, that’s where you grew up now.'” Were you able to get any sleep there?
“The way I feel about these kids—not every coach, just these kids—is that as they grow up, society is entirely against their upbringing. I have to continue in this way with Mabena, Ntando, Thando, Kutlwano, Mali, and Gabi; these kids have so much promise.
“But you have to turn down the light a little bit because no one else will. They also need to understand that life is difficult, that nothing comes easily, and that they will play when I see their desire and appetite. However, they also need to understand that life is difficult, which is why these kids break down and that drug abuse is the only way they can learn how to support themselves. You have to ask yourself what happened when this happens.
“But in order for them to comprehend the path of a professional football player, we must shield them from the evils that society hurls at them. Sometimes this means purposefully putting them through adversities. The mentor for Sundowns stated, “It’s tough because the journey is not easy.”
