Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy says the Fifa international break will be good for his side due to their long injury list.
The Citizens will be hoping to extend their winning run to three games in the Absa Premiership when they take on Polokwane City at Cape Town Stadium on Friday.
They are currently placed third in the league standings with 39 points from 23 games following their 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns on 5 March.
Speaking to the media ahead of their PSL encounter against Rise and Shine, McCarthy says that the international break will afford his players time to recover and recharge following a busy fixture schedule.
‘A break is what this team needed. My players are exhausted,’ McCarthy told the media.
‘It’s not like I am spoiled for choice when I have (Thabo) Nodada, (Roland) Putsche and Kouassi (Kouadja) out. Kwanda Mngonyama also got injured in the Wits game.
‘So for me, any break is welcomed because that would give me a couple of days for Kwanda to return.
‘If I can recover one of the injured players, that’s nice. And I wanted to give the players time off with their family, wives and girlfriends.’
Meanwhile, the City mentor is confident that Zukile Kewuti will continue to improve and grow as a player, but has urged him to remained grounded following his performance against Sundowns last week.
‘He has a good engine and is box-to-box,’ he added. ‘He might not have the quality that a lot of the players in the league possess, but it’s almost impossible to beat someone who doesn’t quit. And that’s what he gives us.
‘Maybe people might say that the occasion was too big for Zuki, but I didn’t think so. I thought that his first touch was letting him down, the ball got stuck on his legs. He comes from the (MultiChoice) Diski (Challenge), he doesn’t know better. Now he is playing in big games. I gave him confidence.
McCarthy continued: ‘I said to Zuki, ”Relax. Don’t listen to people in the stands calling for changes. I played one season at [Orlando] Pirates, so I don’t know this culture of whistles and calling for changes, and when that happens, you change.
‘”I am the boss, not them! You listen to me. Out there I tell you. Keep pushing. You’re going to run them into the ground. Their legs are running out, and that’s when you are going to have joy.” He didn’t drop his head and kept pushing.’
Cape Town City are set to welcome Polokwane City to Cape Town City when the two sides lock horns in the Absa Premiership on Friday, with kick-off set for 8pm.
