Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has reserved special praise for several of the club' players that continued training during the club's break to fast-track their fitness levels.
On the back of completing a domestic treble with the Nedbank Cup, MTN8 and DStv Premiership title last season, the Brazilians further bolstered up their squad with the signings of Bongani Zungu, Marcelo Allende, Sipho Mbule, Ronwen Williams, Terrence Mashego and Abdelmounaim Boutouil.
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Several of these players have struggled to nail down a starting position as they adjust to their new surroundings but are understood to have continued training at Chloorkop during the break in a bid to improve their fitness levels.
"Like I said we've got some very good players and some very honest football players and these are players that are extreme professionals," said Mokwena.
"But there are people that we really appreciate in the sense that there' no whingeing, no whining but professionals. Players like Bongani Zungu, players like Marcelo Allende, Gift Motupa, these are players that stay behind, and Sipho Mbule.
"These are players that stayed behind to work a little bit harder on their physical condition and also because the medical department, the physios and biokinetics also sacrificed their time, not going on holidays and staying behind trying to work on that.
"That's the spirit of Mamelodi Sundowns, that selflessness and that ability to put the club first."
Sundowns entered the FIFA break on the back of a winning run that saw Maritzburg United at the receiving end of a 5-0 beating before Royal AM fell 3-0 just four days later.
The results gave the Tshwane outfit a comfortable five-point lead at the top of the premiership table ahead of second-placed Richards Bay with a game in hand.
The Brazilians also out out a dominant display in the Carling Black Label Cup where defeated AmaZulu 3-0 in the semi-final before hammering Orlando Pirates 4-0 in the final of the one-day tournament.
Sundowns will meet Pirates again on 30 December where the DStv Premiership resumes post- world cup.