Former Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Romain Folz has shared his thoughts on Thamba Zwane being benched against Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final.
Sundowns played a 1-1 draw against Pyramids in the first-leg of the continental final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, and the Brazilians are on the back foot going into the second-leg after their opponents scored a crucial away goal.
In the home tie, Sundowns took the lead early in the second stanza with a great goal from Lucas Ribeiro Costa, while Pyramids levelled matters in the dying seconds of the match through Walid El Karti.
The stalemate sets the stage for an exciting game when Masandawana lock horns with Pyramids in the second-leg of the Champions League this coming Sunday at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
Meanwhile, Sundowns clashed with Pyramids, with Themba Zwane on the bench, and he was not used as a substitute. The Bafana Bafana international is the most experienced player at Sundowns, having formed part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2016.
WHAT ROMAIN FOLZ SAID ABOUT ZWANE SITTING ON THE BENCH AGAINST PYRAMIDS
Folz says that Zwane, who has the exceptional talent to eliminate defenders to assist and score goals, would have been useful for Downs to maintain ball possession.
“I believe the addition of Themba Zwane, even winning 1-0, would have been helpful for the team because I believe that he has the rare capacity to be a link-up going forward,” the former AmaZulu FC mentor said.
“He can also be someone who is extremely useful going forward, and when you are looking to keep the ball, because technically, he’s very sound.
“I think there’s another element that we don’t think about enough, which is the mental side of things. I think a player like Themba gives you stability on the field, and it will give you that assurance in terms of experience. So I believe he was needed in the last 15 or 20 minutes of the game.”
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