Downs give Shakes an assignment

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane took the unusual step of a public forum to call for some of his cluba��s Premier Soccer League assignments to be postponed and for his players to be left out of the national team to prepare for their upcoming African Champions League semifinal.

But he said he has not spoken to national team coach Shakes Mashaba about letting his players off to rest rather than play for South Africa against Mauritania in an African Nations Cup qualifier in Nelspruit on Friday.

a�?When I was Bafana coach I left out Orlando Pirates players when they went to the Champions League final. Gordon Igesund also left them out when he was coach.

a�?When I was coach no one from Pirates phoned me to aska�s I did it myself. Ita��s a no brainera�sa�? he saida�s shifting immediate pressure onto Mashaba to make a decision in what Mosimane called the a�?national interesta�?.

Mashaba called up five Sundowns players a�� Keegan Dollya�s Hlompho Kekana, Tebogo Langermana�s Thapelo Morena and new signing Sibusiso Vilakazi a�� for Fridaya��s game plus next Tuesdaya��s friendly against Egypt at the Orlando Stadium.

Sundownsa�s after beating SuperSport United 3-1 in Sundaya��s MTN8 quarter-finala�s have a schedule of eight matches in September but at least two of then have to be postponed.

Sundownsa�� next outing will be on the weekend of September 10-11 at Chippa United in the first leg of MTN8 and then a league game at Maritzburg on September 14.

Just three days later they will be in Zambia to meet Zesco United in the first leg of their Champions League finala�s which clashes with the second leg of their MTN8 tie against Chippa which will have to be postponed.

Sundowns then come home from Zambia and must play on Wednesday September 21 at home to Platinum Starsa�s three days before they host Zesco in the second leg.

These are the two midweek games that Mosimane wants postponed.

a�?The PSL did it for Pirates. I remember at one stage of the season they were nine games in arrears. Ia��m hoping that the PSL will do it for us as wella�sa�? he added. a�� Times Live