Mamelodi Sundowns rotated their squad against Stellenbosch but the absence of Marcelo Allende, Teboho Mokoena and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was an orchestrated move for a reason.
Despite making wholesale changes against Stellies, the likes of Themba Zwane and Lucas Ribeiro Costa were available on the bench but Allende, Mokoena and Williams were completely not in the squad.
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The main reason for the trio's exclusion against the Western Cape side on Wednesday is that they are all on three yellow cards and ran the risk of missing Sundowns' biggest game of the season so far against Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final next Saturday.
Allende, Mokoena and Williams went into the MTN8 semi-final second leg against Kaizer Chiefs carrying three yellow cards and remarkably they were all not booked in a 2-1 win over Amakhosi.
The Tshwane giants did not have any other game to wash the trio's suspension, by getting them booked and then missing a game before the MTN8 final after their DStv Premiership clash against Royal AM next Tuesday was postponed.
Zwane and Aubrey Modiba were also on a suspension tightrope ahead of the MTN8 final, as they went into the game against Chiefs on two yellow cards but they were also not booked, hence they were in the squad against the Maroons.
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Rulani Mokwena's charges will be in the CAF Champions League action on Saturday evening against Bumamuru, in the second-leg of the second preliminary round, where they have a 4-0 lead from the first-leg.
Mokwena can afford to rest his key players again, as their next domestic fixture is against Pirates in the MTN8 final next weekend.
The 36-year old tactician will be looking to win his first piece of silverware as a sole head coach.
The MTN8 final tickets for Moses Mabhida Stadium are officially sold out, within 18 hours of going on sale.
