The Mamelodi Sundowns academy that has been the conveyor belt to feeding the first team has been commended for the quality it keeps delivering to the first team at Chloorkop.
Jerome Karlese, Ntando Nkosi, Siyanda Nyanga, and Thando Buthelezi have all already been handed their debuts by head coach Rulani Mokwena this season.
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The most outstanding of the lot has been Cassius Mailula who was also promoted at the beginning of the season and has had 17 goal contributions in his first 20 appearances at this club.
For all the debates about how Sundowns recruit they have also looked to their development structures with others also being lined up for first team appearances.
"How easy is it? Not easy for them," says Mokwena about the line of youngsters coming up.
"We have to give them all the support that they can.
"The talent of Cassius. The talent of Siya. The talent of Buthelezi. The talent of Jerome is a reflection of the hard work that is being put by the academy staff.
"So, a lot of very good compliments have to go to people like Shawn Bishop, David Notoane, Sam Mbatha, Surprise Moriri, these are people that work tirelessly to make sure that players get enough to be able to play for the first team.
"It is not charity to hand out debuts and hand out debuts and debuts, the players have to be good enough and I think they demonstrated it.
"When Ntando made his debut and demonstrated that he can get to this level and compete, so a lot of compliments and praise go to the academy staff. Number one.
"Number two to the football club for the investments that they make into the academy and then we try our level best to give the opportunities.
"Maybe the one master of that was Sir Alex Ferguson when he said in his book that 'all talent wants is an opportunity to be used'.
"That is what we have to try our level best to do.
"Use this opportunity for these talented kids to demonstrate their talent but for sure that is just a reflection of the investment of the football club and the investment of the academy staff and the people that work tirelessly to make sure that they are good enough at this level," says Mokwena.
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