Sundowns to miss Mvala, Mudau in Caf match as Mokwena rues Bafana injuries

Mamelodi Sundowns will play the penultimate round of the Caf Champions League group stage away to Mauritanian side Nouadhibou without some of their stars who shone for Bafana Bafana at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena listed central defender Mothobi Mvala and right-back Khuliso Mudau among players who will miss the group A match at Stade Cheikha Ould Boïdiya in Nouakchott on Saturday (6pm South African time).

Both are nursing knocks they took representing South Africa in Ivory Coast, where Bafana finished in third spot behind champions Ivory Coast and runners-up Nigeria.

Mokwena was speaking after Downs' 6-1 Nedbank Cup last-32 victory against Motsepe Foundation Championship side La Masia at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday night, where Uruguayan Gaston Sirino scored a hat-trick.

Only left-back Terrence Mashego featured in Tuesday's game from the 10 Sundowns players who were at Afcon with Bafana.

Bafana captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and Thapelo Morena were in Sundowns' starting XI in the ill-tempered 1-1 DStv Premiership draw against Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.

Mudau, Mvala, Themba Zwane, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena and Thapelo Maseko have not turned out for Sundowns since the Nations Cup. 

“Some of it is not by choice,” Mokwena said of why he's not used some Bafana stars.

“Mothobi is out and will probably be out for six to eight weeks. 'Sailor' [Mudau] is out and will probably be out for about six to eight weeks also, and we know when he was injured [at Afcon] he still played, which disappoints me a bit. 

"'Ronza' [Williams] is struggling with a shoulder injury and today [Tuesday] we tried to rest him to give him time off. 'Mshishi' [Zwane] has also got a bit of a niggle.

“So with some of the players who came from Bafana it is not about whether we want to give them a break. We can't use them at all because they've returned with serious injuries.

“But OK, it is what it is and we have to try to use the rest of the squad — and we saw [against La Masia] and we saw against Pirates, they [Downs' fringe players] have the quality to compete and help the team. That is the responsibility they have.”

Sundowns lead the Champions League's group A by goal difference (though head-to-head is what counts in Confederation of African Football competitions) over second-placed Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe, with both sides on seven points after four matches.

Mokwena would like to complete a double of victories over Nouadhibou so Downs don't have as much pressure to win when they host Mazembe in their last group match at FNB Stadium on March 2.