I have to manage my players - Mosimane

Mamelodi Sundowns have a large squad packed with talent, but coach Pitso Mosimane admits it will be stretched to the limit as his side potentially plays 11 games in 32 days up until the end of the season.

It could all start and finish with the Nedbank Cup, as they prepare to face BidVest Wits in the second semifinal at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday, where they hope to win through to the final on 8 September.

In between they must play nine league fixtures with an eye on catching Kaizer Chiefs at the top of the Absa Premiership table.

It is back to competitive football on Saturday, will your side be ready?

We have never had anything like this before in our lifetime, so it is a strange position for football. Because nobody has been in this space before, we don’t really know how we will deal with the issues. So for me to tell you, ‘we are ready, we know what to do, we know how we will handle this’. I am not brave enough to say that. I have read a lot of interviews from coaches saying they are ready for everything. I don’t know if they are ready, but I can tell you of what I know. I have got my expectations from what I have seen on TV.

Can you update us on your squad's health ahead of the game against Baroka FC?

We have [Jose] Ali Meza injured, the next two days will give us a chance to see if he is available. Anele [Ngcongca] is injured and not training. We have other players that are also out, Keletso [Makgalwa] out, [Ricardo] Nascimento has got a niggling injury. Mauricio Affonso is also stuck in Uruguay, we are not able to get him. Thapelo [Morena] is also there but we don’t want to risk him. He is training and kicking [the ball], but we don’t want to rush him back. We don’t want him to go out there and break down and then you regret all of the four or five months that he has been going through rehabilitation. Dennis [Onyango] has a niggling injury also.

How has training been for you?

Training in small groups, players … it is strange for them. Players sitting there and the other one over here away from him … it is different training. We have done only one video analysis, even then you have to do it with social distancing, because you can’t be in a closed room [as a squad]. You have to do it outside … it is difficult. You have to understand how strange football is under Covid-19. There is no team spirit in the camp because we are eating over a period of two hours, most separately. This one pops in, then the other one goes out. Sometimes you are in the dining room alone. Where are your colleagues that you always eat with?

You could possibly play 11 games in a little over four weeks in the league and Nedbank Cup, can your squad cope with that?

There should never be a challenge with the number of games, I hear people saying, ‘no. but you are used to playing so many games in a short space of time’. And that is right, but we usually play with a base of three and a half months of playing regularly. Now we don’t have that, so let’s see what happens with injuries and whether the body is ready. We have to manage the players. If you try to play the same team three games in a row, you are going to have hamstrings [going], and that will affect the next seven games.