Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has questioned the age limit rule in the MultiChoice Diski Challenge as some of his players struggle for regular game time.
Sundowns booked their spot in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals after dispatching VUT 2-0 thanks to second-half goals by Wayne Arendse and Phakamani Mahlambi.
There were a lot of fringe players on show for Sundowns on Sunday, but Mosimane feels the reserve league should allow teams to include players over the age of 21.
"It's not easy {playing everbody], because the challenge is, we don't have enough games for them to play and be active, it's the same thing I speak about and not for Sundowns [only] but for everybody," Mosimane told SuperSport TV.
"To say, I understand the MDC [MultiChoice Diski Challenge] and the MDC has been very good, it has provided us with Nico, [Sphelele] Mkhulise, Keletso [Makgalwa], which is brilliant but when you don't allow players who are above 21 [years of age] to play they don't have game time you know.
"So that's the only thing, as much as it is good we're promoting a lot of youngsters, it gives younger players a chance to play [in the senior team] but look for me it's a reserve league hey, even everywhere in Europe it allows three or four players of the senior team to play and it was like that before.
"Then, where are they going to get the time to play with the schedule that Mamelodi Sundowns have? And it's not only for me, all the teams, we're carrying 30 players, 33, so when they have to come and play, they are rusty, it's normal.
"You could see Sammy [Seabi] was struggling to get the ball out, it's not easy. They are good football players but it's difficult, so they need more game time.
"But I'm happy that we went through [to the next round] and there's been a lot of talk here, too much talk but it's okay, what is important is to beat the students and they must lose against us and we progress. But they are a good team."
Mosimane added that he won't be harsh on youngster Nicholus Likhubeni for conceding a penalty in the second half.
"Nico [Lukhubeni] is a young player, he's allowed to make these mistakes, he's paying his school fees. It's normal, he's still going to make another one like that. It's okay, he learns. He played well against Chippa and scored a good goal, he's been learning, we need to give him time to grow. We don't have to kill him for these things, we must show him the mistakes. It's okay."