Durban City coach Gavin Hunt has confirmed that left-back Terrence Mashego will not play against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership match at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

Mashego’s Absence Explained

Mashego, who joined Durban City on loan from Sundowns this week, is ineligible to play due to a clause in the loan agreement between the two clubs. Hunt emphasized that despite the defender starting and helping City secure a 2-0 victory against Siwelele at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday, he cannot be counted on for the upcoming match.

This is a common practice in football where a parent club, which is still paying the player’s salary, can restrict them from playing against them.

Hunt stated, “Sadly, he can’t play against Sundowns. I don’t think so, no. Here you go.”

Hunt’s Approach to the Match

Hunt, a four-time league-winning coach, is the last to have won the league title before Sundowns’ eight-year dominance began in the 2016/17 season.

Despite the absence of Mashego, Hunt remains pragmatic about the challenge. He noted that while Sundowns are currently second in the table with 15 points from six matches—just one point behind log leaders Sekhukhune United—they haven’t been as fluid as expected since coach Miguel Cardoso took over in December.

“I don’t have any emotions on it,” Hunt said. “In football, I don’t have any emotions—win or lose, I don’t have any emotions. I try to set it up as best as I can… Of course, we will try our best. We will run and chase and have a plan… The reality on the pitch, we need to do certain things and then quality, they have got quality.”

The last time Durban City (then known as Maritzburg United) beat Sundowns away in the league was in the 2012/13 season when Delron Buckley scored two goals at Lucas Moripe Stadium.