Benni Explains Patosi Absence From Squad

Benni McCarthy has explained why he left Ayanda Patosi out of his matchday squad on Saturday, revealing that the decision was purely tactical. 

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Patosi has been faced with several physical and fitness challenges, with Head Coach Benni McCarthy admitting in the past that the player has been disciplined and fined by the club for his conduct and behaviour.  

The Citizens secured a 2-0 victory over SuperSport United at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, with Patosi one of the noticeable absentees on the day. 

McCarthy revealed that leaving the former KSC Lokeren winger out of the squad was purely tactical.

“It was just a technical decision; we’ve got a lot of players. Everybody has been pushing really hard and this game needed a high pressured player and I think Patosi is our luxury player, he makes us play, scores goals, but I think with the pressing we’ve seen from SuperSport and how they press us, I think he would have (fallen) a bit short so that’s why we went for someone like Thabo Nodada at (number) 10 which is not his natural position but he gives us that in front when we want to counter-attack and when we win, it is straight in to the Norodiens and that and Patosi doesn’t give us that, he makes us play,” McCarthy told the media.

“So we just felt that we’ve got Gift, we’ve got Katterega, we’ve got Craig Martin on the bench and it is like for like, you take Nodada out, you bring in Martin he gives you the same high pressing. The circumstances of the game calls for quick players and Patosi isn’t blessed with pace. But Wednesday it is a completely different team to SuperSport,” he added.