Pitso Mosimane’s managerial skills are really being put to the test these days.
The Mamelodi Sundowns coach is doing a fine balancing act with his team playing twice a week at least these days.
It has been quite a tricky period for the Brazilians now that the hype of the Caf achievements has died down.
They are playing catch-up in the league, but as I’ve said before, games in hand are not points in the bag.
And that’s exactly what the African champions are finding now.
Since the league resumed they have played nine games in 27 days. That works out to a game every three days.
And the players are starting to feel it with injuries to stars like captain Hlompho Kekana, forward Khama Billiat and keeper Denis Onyango, all of whom missed the trip to Cape Town last week.
Important
Sundowns won an important match against title rivals Wits, but that was the last time they picked up three points in the league.
After that they drew 0-0 with Chippa and then came the loss to Cape Town City at Athlone Stadium last Friday.
Then Monday night they really had to battle past SAB Regional League side Mariveni in the Nedbank Cup last 32.
Pitso praised his fringe players afterwards but there were regulars in the team. The goal scorers, for example, were Leonardo Castro and Anthony Laffor who would play on any given day.
A couple of players were given game time, the likes of Kennedy Mweene, new signing Fares Hachi and Mzikayise Mashaba, who has struggled with injury.
In the end, two goals in two minutes sealed it and Pitso always says he will take a win any way it comes.
But I reckon the coach is, at the moment, experiencing one of the toughest periods because now it’s all about managing the squad.
He certainly has more players than most teams at his disposal and that’s where it gets tricky because he has to decide who to rest, when, how many changes are too much and so on.
Sundowns are going to challenge on three fronts for the next few months and a lot of their success will depend on how well Pitso manages his troops.