Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has stressed the importance of squad depth for teams looking to compete with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns currently sit comfortably at the top of the table, with a commanding lead over second-placed Orlando Pirates, who trail by 15 points.
While Pirates still have a mathematical chance of catching them, it would require a catastrophic collapse from Sundowns to allow the Soweto giants into top spot.
Mngqithi, who previously coached at Sundowns before taking charge at Arrows, knows first-hand what it takes to compete at the highest level.
“I also sounded controversial with a lot of people when I said these teams don’t have depth and they struggle to beat small teams,” Mngqithi told iDiski Times.
“It is not because the other clubs lack quality, but it is because you can guess their starting 11. And when you do that [use a consistently similar line-up], and you are competing on all these fronts, domestic league, cup competitions and the Champions League, it takes its toll on the players.
“So, you need to have a broader squad that can ultimately give you the chance to rest some players while not losing sight of the competition.
“I think at Sundowns, we had mastered that part, we focused on periodising the squad to be able to compete all the way to the end of the Champions League, which we just struggled to win.
“And it was never really an issue of quality and all that, it was just that mistakes in the Champions League are really costly.”