Johannesburg - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena has pledged himself to be one of the protectors of the rising star Cassius Mailula as he continues to impress in his debut season.
The 21-year-old forward came off the bench to score once again for the 10-man Brazilians as they beat Sekhukhune United and extended their winning streak to 14 games in their Premiership clash on Saturday evening.
Mailula, who is having a debut season to remember, has now amassed 12 goal involvements in all competitions (nine goals and three assists) this campaign.
His explosive speed, positioning, ability to link up play, and deadly finishing have seen him leap ahead of Thabiso Kutumela, Gift Motupa, and Bradley Ralani in the pecking order.
Mokwena, who was once a part of the club’s youth setup, complimented his young striker but also vowed to protect him from the glamorous life of being the next big thing in South African football.
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“Cassius has got a lot of potential still and I'm very protective of the younger ones because I've seen it (the pressures) in South Africa football before,” said Mokwena.
He then added: “It's called the curse of the rising star, you see a shooting star and just before you make a wish, it disappears. So I'm very very cautious about the young ones and I always plead for patience so I can put them in a play where you don't give them attention or too much of the limelight.”
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Cassius is seemingly on his way to forming part of a decent group of Sundowns academy graduates that went on to perform with not only the first team, but the national team as well.
“If we put him in a similar environment to Percy (Tau), the late Motjeka Madisha and Siphelele Mkhulise, where there isn’t a lot of glitz and glam, he will receive the spotlight when it's time but we need to be careful with Cassius because there's a lot to improve.”
IOL Sport