Mamelodi Sundowns' Thato Sibiya learns tough lessons in CAF Champions League draw

Thato Sibiya is still wet behind the ears in his professional career at Mamelodi Sundowns. As a result, there are times when he will get it right and, unfortunately, times when he won’t — a reality that has quickly set in during his first two starts for the team.

Sibiya enjoyed a dream professional debut for Sundowns, walking away with the Player of the Match award as they beat Orbit College in the Betway Premiership during the season’s restart this week.

The 19-year-old played like a seasoned campaigner in the left-back position, tracking back and driving forward when necessary. Consequently, he even racked up an assist, setting up Bryan León’s debut goal and the winner for the Brazilians as they momentarily reclaimed their spot at the top of the table.

It soon became evident, however, that he still has a long way to go before becoming a fully-fledged professional, as he endured a shaky CAF Champions League debut in the 2–2 draw with Al Hilal in the group stage at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night.

The youngster was not as effective as he had been against the "Blue Wave", cheaply losing possession and getting caught napping at times down the flank. The fact that Al Hilal fielded stocky and experienced players did not help his cause either.

Despite these clear struggles, coach Miguel Cardoso stuck with Sibiya until the 65th minute—with Sundowns in the lead at the time — before substituting him five minutes prior to Abdelrazig Omer punishing their sloppiness to salvage what could prove to be an invaluable point for the Sudanese giants.

With Sundowns enduring a heavy schedule, chances are Sibiya will still get more minutes this season, although he remains behind Aubrey Modiba, Divine Lunga, and Fawaaz Basadien in the pecking order.

That is why he cannot afford to be too hard on himself for coming second in most duels or opening up spaces that Al Hilal exploited; such moments are inevitable while he continues to find his feet and shape his blueprint.

The U20 AFCON-winning defender with Amajita must take every lesson learned in his stride and not shy away from seeking advice from his seniors.

After all, he is part and parcel of the team, and the only way he can grow and adapt — especially to the hostility of continental football — is by drawing wisdom from those who have been there before.