Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has addressed the injury status of Teboho Mokoena, Bathusi Aubaas, and Aubrey Modiba ahead of the MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The Brazilians are intensifying their preparations for the mouth-watering final against rivals Pirates on Saturday in Durban. The clash between the two giants will kick off at 18:00 with the R10 million prize at stake.
Sundowns are chasing glory in the MTN8 against Pirates, who have dominated the tournament, winning the title for the past four seasons in a row. The Buccaneers won three successive top eight competitions under then-head coach Jose Riveiro before lifting the fourth under Abdeslam Ouaddou in the previous campaign.
Pirates are looking to make history and win the trophy for five seasons, although they will have a tough hurdle to overcome in Sundowns.
While the Sea Robbers have enjoyed a fair share of success in the MTN8, Sundowns have struggled to assert themselves in the competition since winning it back in 2021 when they beat Cape Town City FC on penalties.
With Sundowns aiming to dethrone Pirates from their dominance in the top eight competition, the Brazilians are sweating over the fitness of their key players, Mokoena, Modiba and Aubaas.
The trio sustained injuries while on national duty with Bafana Bafana during the recent FIFA international break for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
SUNDOWNS MONITORING MOKOENA, MODIBA AND AUBAAS AHEAD OF THE FINAL
Speaking to journalists at Chloorkop on Wednesday morning, Sundowns coach Cardoso revealed he remains unsure whether the injured trio will pass late fitness tests ahead of the final.
“Look, what is important to know is that I said it on the first day, and I will say it again: when the players go to the national team, they are national team players,” Cardoso said.
“So we are completely aligned with that and happy that the boys performed well. Obviously it’s important to know that we will not risk anything for any player. We have many challenges ahead, and today we will see the condition of the players.
“They arrived yesterday [Tuesday], and we assessed them during the day; it’s the first contact that the doctors had with the players. I had a report yesterday, but let’s wait and see how they react to the work we put in with them.
“From there we will move, but we cannot risk anything on the players. This match this week is important, but on Tuesday there is another one [versus Richards Bay FC in the Betway Premiership]. It is [also] the second preliminary round match for the [CAF] Champions League. So we will see if they fully recover, and in those conditions they will be able to play.”
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