With Denis Onyango expected to make a return to the Mamelodi Sundowns squad and possibly into the starting line-up, an iconic goalkeeper in the club's history feels that Jody February should be given another opportunity to impress.
February kept his first clean sheet on his third consecutive appearance over the weekend, as Sundowns edged Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs at Lucas Moripe Stadium. In the absence of Ronwen Williams and Onyango, February has been given a much-needed opportunity, but there were signs of his rustiness along the way.
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John Tlale, who served as a Sundowns goalkeeper during their successful years in the late 90s, feels February needs a few more opportunities to play, until Williams make a return from injury.
"I think they must give the boy another opportunity to play. I don't want to put him at fault because as a goalkeeper you need to play more games to gain confidence. Sometimes, he plays too risky unnecessarily. If you want to gain confidence, don't play too risky. He needs to play safe to gain confidence. For example, I felt he could have done better with the first goal he conceded against Sekhukhune. Even with the second goal, he played the ball to (Marcelo) Allende and there was somebody behind Allende," Tlale said to the Siya crew.
"I hope someone is talking to him, maybe Kennedy Mweene, to let him know that he must not take a chance when it's risky. He must clear the ball and start afresh. The problem with goalkeeping is that they don't forget about you when you make one mistake. That's the thing. But I think he can be given more opportunities. He played against Kaizer Chiefs and he did not concede, so I think that boosted his confidence."
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February's contract with Sundowns is due to expire at the end of the season, but the club has an option to extend the deal. Should he stay another season, he is likely to deal with being an understudy, as Williams remains the number one at the club.
Sundowns, meanwhile, will take on Golden Arrows at Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammersdale, KZN, on Wednesday night. It's another opportunity for the club to edge themselves closer to a eighth consecutive Premiership title.
