Mamelodi Sundowns star attacker Neo Maema has opened up on his preference in stats or overall contribution to the team following an impressive campaign.
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On the face of it, Maema's stats for the 2022/23 season does not make for great reading. Seven goals and five assists is what the 25-year-old was able to contribute for the Brazilians in 39 matches in all competitions.
His coach Rulani Mokwena; however, argues that Maema's contribution may not show in his overall stats, but in what he brings to the team on the field.
"Neo [Maema] is a top professional, highly intelligent and hard working for a player as talented as he is. He's got an incredible work ethic and also extremely versatile. He can play as a 10, as a nine, and he can also play as an eight. He can also play on the left and right. So when we're in the offensive position, Neo takes this little bit of a multifaceted type of profile because of his intelligence," he told journalists last month.
Speaking to the media at the Hyundai head office, Maema weighed in on his preference.
"Like they say numbers don't lie. I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself, especially when it comes to my stats. But also contributing to the team's success in every game. That is the major part of the position that I started playing this season," he told journalists.
"I play a bit far away from the goals. But I make sure that I cover so much distance to be in the box when it matters."
"For me it's not much about the contribution although it is important, but I think the stats are most important because those are actually direct. So I've been putting pressure on myself to raise my stats from last season to this season. It's a bit of both but I make sure that I contribute immensely to the team's success."
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