“A Very Big Loss” — Kaze Decries Defensive Crisis Ahead Of Pirates Clash
Sekhukhune United coach Cedric Kaze says his side has been dealt a major blow by the absence of key players Vuyo Letlapa and Tshepo Mashiloane ahead of their crucial MTN8 clash against Orlando Pirates.
Babina Noko will host the defending champions at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final.
The absences come at a crucial time for Kaze, who will have to reshuffle his defence. Letlapa has not trained with the team since their 2-0 Betway Premiership defeat to Kaizer Chiefs, while Mashiloane will be unavailable due to a clause in his loan agreement that prevents him from playing against his parent club, Pirates.
Kaze acknowledged the significance of losing the two defenders but said the players available to him must step up to the challenge.
“I would say that modern football requires a lot of energy on the field,” Kaze said.
“It requires a lot of repetitive efforts, repetitive runs, either offensively or defensively, which means that you need to have physically fit players. That’s also my motto as a coach. I want to have a team that has a lot of runs on the field, going forward, coming back and tracking back.
“It’s those demands of modern football that are pushing us to adjust and put more younger players who are also able to repeat those kinds of efforts.”
The two sides will also face each other in league matches between the two legs of the MTN8 semi-final, placing an additional physical demand on the players.
“But in saying that, you also need experienced players to help you deal with the emotional and psychological issues of the game and to give you the right mindset,” he added.
“I would say that Vuyo has not trained since he got injured against Kaizer Chiefs. It’s a very big loss as well. I have to mention that on Saturday we’re going to be without Tshepo Mashiloane, who is on loan from Orlando Pirates. Probably, in his contract, there is a clause that does not allow him to play against them.
“It’s a very big loss because he’s a player who has been important for us since the beginning of the season. But the players that we have have to be able to compete. They have to be able to embrace this challenge,” Kaze added.
