Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has explained the decision start with Peter Shalulile on the bench against SuperSport United on Tuesday night.
Teboho Mokoena broke the deadlock for Sundowns with a long range stunner just before the half-hour mark but Bradley Grobler levelled matters soon thereafter with a finish from a set-piece delivery by Lyle Lakay.
Apart from the goals, there was not much goal-mouth action and Mokwena says the long balls from SuperSport affected their "compactness".
READ | Downs & SuperSport share the spoils in Tshwane Derby
"Proud of the players, good effort, happy also for players who have not been getting a lot of game time, so okay we can't win them all, can we? We take a point and we move," Mokwena told SuperSport TV.
"We lacked a little bit of compactness, it's difficult when you play against a team with a lot of long balls you know. In the first-half, the intensity of Grant (Kekana), Zuko (Mdunyelwa), Divine (Lunga), to step up a little bit, five more steps with a bit of intensity.
"Okay, good, we did well. I'm happy with the effort and the commitment of the players, they represented the club well and you can't win them all can you? So we move on, we try to improve, try to utilize all the players that we have," he said.
The 37-year-old coach made multiple changes late in the game and conceded that he had to give others players who deserved to play minutes, while revealing they are managing Shalulile's minutes.
"Ja, no Thapelo (Morena) deserved some minutes, (Junior) Mendieta has been doing well at training, so he also deserves some minutes, ja let's see Peter (Shalulile), we're trying to manage him.
"Tash (Matthews) is struggling a bit because it's Ramadan, we wanted to start him but he's struggling a bit because of the fasting and you could see when he came on. Okay, good, they have to try their best and I'm happy with their effort."
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