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Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns new boy Mame Niang does not believe that there is a goal scoring problem in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after a low goal return throughout the league last season.
Kaizer Chiefs' Bernard Parker won the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot in the 2013/14 campaign, scoring 10 league goals, which raised many eyebrows from critics, who expected more strikers to obtain double figure goal tallies.
The former SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows striker said almost every PSL club plays in the formation which permits a single forward to be on the pitch, which gives the defenders an easier task at keeping out the opposition attack.
"I don’t believe strikers are bad," Niang said.
"I think it is more about how the team plays and how the coaches approach the game.
"And most teams in the PSL plays with only one striker.
"It is easy for the defenders to target one striker as defenders.
"I think that is the reason we don’t see too many goals coming from strikers in one season.
"If we go back to the time when Collins Mbesuma was the leading goal scorer, Chiefs were playing the most attacking football.
"They played with two or three strikers and Mbesuma used to just stand inside the box when others were playing behind him.
"They used to supply him with balls and that’s why he scored so many goals that season."
'Long weekend' joined the Brazilians in the offseason from Pretoria rivals, United.
The Senegalese international is set to make his debut for Sundowns on Saturday when they meet Platinum Stars in the MTN8 at Loftus Versveld.
Kickoff is scheduled for 15:30.
Kaizer Chiefs' Bernard Parker won the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot in the 2013/14 campaign, scoring 10 league goals, which raised many eyebrows from critics, who expected more strikers to obtain double figure goal tallies.
The former SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows striker said almost every PSL club plays in the formation which permits a single forward to be on the pitch, which gives the defenders an easier task at keeping out the opposition attack.
"I don’t believe strikers are bad," Niang said.
"I think it is more about how the team plays and how the coaches approach the game.
"And most teams in the PSL plays with only one striker.
"It is easy for the defenders to target one striker as defenders.
"I think that is the reason we don’t see too many goals coming from strikers in one season.
"If we go back to the time when Collins Mbesuma was the leading goal scorer, Chiefs were playing the most attacking football.
"They played with two or three strikers and Mbesuma used to just stand inside the box when others were playing behind him.
"They used to supply him with balls and that’s why he scored so many goals that season."
'Long weekend' joined the Brazilians in the offseason from Pretoria rivals, United.
The Senegalese international is set to make his debut for Sundowns on Saturday when they meet Platinum Stars in the MTN8 at Loftus Versveld.
Kickoff is scheduled for 15:30.
