Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena says he's adamant that their coaching methods are in line with recent trends in world football.
Mokwena has explained that the evolution of the game has influenced them to experiment with different attacking formations.
The erudite tactician says youth development has become key in advancing the game in the world and European teams are investing a lot of their teaching on academy players, using the current trends in the game.
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Mokwena was explaining why they did not play without a number nine in their 7-0 rout of La Passe, in the CAF Champions League, second preliminary round, first-leg.
"That's why youth development is becoming so important because the footballer of tomorrow is a reflection of the game of today," Mokwena told journalists in a press conference.
"And the clues that you get of the game of today assist you in developing the player of tomorrow.
"And that's what some of the best developing European countries have been able to do. A typical example is Haaland, where everyone say this guy cannot be a normal human being," he said.
"But he's a product of probably proper youth development and people having smelled that the game is moving so far away from these robust number nines, that look for the ball to the chest and develop and link up.
"And they had to develop other qualities around big, strong player like him, so ja it's interesting, let's see how we develop and how we go about it," he added.
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In seeking to transform their youth setup, Sundowns appointed Flemming Berg, as the Sporting Director.
As reported by Soccer Laduma in edition 1294, Berg's speciality is talent identification after serving the game as a scout at Chelsea and was one of the members that transformed Danish football, by coming up with a development blueprint.
The Dane's work at Sundowns is starting to take shape after he recommended that the club promote Cassius Mailula and Ntando Nkosi.
Berg was brought in to be the link between how the first team plays and that identity filtering through to the development structures.
Mailula is seen as the future at the Brazilians, as he has been getting minutes off the bench lately.
