Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Haashim Domingo reveals that he is learning every day from playing alongside some of the best players in the country.
The Cape Town-born 25-year-old was named man of the match in the Brazilians' 4-0 romp over Polokwane City in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday at Loftus Versfeld.
The former Wits player is struggling to make the starting eleven on a regular basis but with Sundowns competing in the CAF Champions League as well, he was gifted a rare opportunity to kick off the match against Rise and Shine from the start.
"They (Polokwane) are highly motivated and coming to play against us, I think we just stuck to the game plan and carried out what the coaches wanted from us and we got the result at the end of the day," he said.
He then touched on the amount of travelling the club has to endure over the last few weeks as well: "There has been lots of travelling and what I could say we have lots of depth in the squad."
Domingo then admits that he is paying close attention in the training sessions.
"I play among the best (players) in the country, so rubbing shoulders against them every day it’s always been good, and you can only learn and pick up small things from them," he concluded.
Meanwhile, in the press conference, journalists probed Sundowns' co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi on whether Domingo was given orders to lose weight as he visibly looks leaner.
"The boy has been working very hard in training, it's just that it is very difficult to change the winning team," Mngqithi responded.
"The players that are always playing have done exceptionally well but he has been working extremely hard and is a very good professional.
"I like to work with a player like him. He gives his best in every training session, very focused, never ever negativity in his game.
"When he started, he was playing with a lot of anxiety, he's a boy that puts a lot of pressure on himself and does not want to commit even one error.
"When you're playing with that kind of stress, you are making your life difficult, he has improved in leaps and bounds because we have been trying to play him a few minutes as a substitute.
"I still believe that he is a far better player than what he has shown. I still believe he will give us more."
Sundowns will now face Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup quarter final next month.
