Impressed by one of his stars, Cavin Johnson cast doubt on whether two fan favourites will easily make the starting line-up against Stellenbosch FC in a DStv Premiership clash on Tuesday.
The Glamour Boys settled for a share of the spoils with Cape Town City FC following a 0-0 stalemate on Saturday at Athlone Stadium.
They failed to bounce back to winning ways after their 3-2 loss to Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby before the FIFA international break.
And their next assignment is no easy task, as they host Stellenbosch on Tuesday at the FNB stadium.
Interestingly, after their draw with CT City, Cavin Johnson cast doubt on Edson Castillo and Yusuf Maart’s easy return to the match-day squad. The former Al Ahly assistant coach was charmed by how Siyethemba Sithebe held the fort in the midfield against CT City.
JOHNSON SPEAKS ON SITHEBE’S PERFORMANCE
Castillo and Maart were absent due to suspension, a situation that left the team facing a crisis. The duo have been vital cogs for Amakhosi since the season started under Molefi Ntseki.
Castillo has played in 23 matches across all competitions, contributing five goals. His midfield partner, Maart, has featured in 25 games, providing three assists.
And in their absence, Sithebe put up a mouth-watering performance, leaving Johnson vehemently impressed. Sithebe partnered with Sibongiseni Mthethwa in central midfield. And without a doubt, the former AmaZulu FC midfielder is in line for another start in their next assignment.
“In the previous games, Castillo and Maart kept him out of the game,” said Johnson. “So the fact that they are not available gives him an opportunity, and when that comes, I don’t think Castillo and Maart will ever come back. He played well. We are going to wait and see who the next opponent is.”
Johnson added: “They’ll probably be fresher than him. In 48 hours, they will be fresher than him. Castillo has just come back from a nice tour in America.
“He played against Italy and Guatemala, and Yusuf has been fasting, and you know when Muslims fast, it makes them stronger.”
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