If there is one thing that Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Rulani Mokwena does well, it is giving youngsters a chance at the club, while making sure he protects them at the same time.
What Mokwena did for Mailula, who became an overnight success with the Brazilians senior team, having been promoted straight from their Dstv Diski Challenge side, is what he is doing for Downs' latest youth sensation, 16-year-old Siyabonga Mabena.
Mabena made his second appearance for Sundowns against Cape Town City on Tuesday, and Mokwena did his best to deflect journalists attention away from the youngster regarding their questions.
With the curse of the rising star prevalent in South African football, where promising youngsters easily fall by the wayside, Mokwena cannot be blamed for hiding Mabena under his wing, especially considering his tender age.
"You ask me more about Mabena and you should be asking me about 'Mshishi' [Zwane], you should be asking me about Peter Shalulile and his level of consistency for the past four to five years at Highlands Park and Sundowns," said Mokwena as quoted by Times Live. https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2023-04-06-we-kill-these-talents-by-overhyping-them-sundowns-coach-mokwena/
"He [Shalulile] is on 98 goals and why are we not talking about Peter but talking about Mabena. We should not be speaking about Mabena because he has not done enough to be part of this press conference.
"Focus on the people who for many years have reached a good level of performance, otherwise we kill these talents. We kill these talents by overhyping them and all of a sudden they think they have arrived.
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"It is the curse of the rising star. It sounds cliched, but it's true, and I am saying easy does it."
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