Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Tebogo Mokoeona sustained an injury during the Bafana Bafana national team match against Guinea. Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso may have to look for two substitutes for the starting lineup when the team meets Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening, October 10th, starting at 18:00.
MTN8 Final
Aubrey Modiba and Tebogo Mokoeona were injured during Bafana Bafana's 2-1 victory over Guinea in the first round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Orlando Amstel Arena. Because of this, they missed the 5-0 victory over Eritrea in the next qualifying match in Cairo on Wednesday evening.
The absence of these two players was not felt: Samukele Kabini brilliantly replaced Modiba on the left defense, and Mokoeona's replacement, teammate Batusi Aubaas, also suffered an injury early in the first half and was replaced by Brooklyn Poggenpole, who made an impressive debut in central midfield.
The trio of Modiba, Mokoeona, and Aubaas underwent medical examinations before the Bafana friendly match against Egypt at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday. If the results are unfavorable, they will likely miss the intense clash with Pirates in Durban.
If Modiba and Mokoeona cannot participate in the Wafa Wafa Cup final, they will be a huge loss for the Brazilians, as Cardoso will be forced to consider Favaaz Basadien and Sfelele Mkhulise for the starting lineup in the left-back and midfield positions, respectively. Aubaas is not a regular starter.
The possible absence of this pair may disappoint Cardoso, but it is not unexpected. Speaking on Sundowns' pursuit of the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific title, he gave a reserved response about why it was crucial to allow the new Bafana coach, Pitsos Mosimane, to have the best players available, despite the fact that Sundowns players are likely overworked and vulnerable to injuries due to the tight schedule.