Have Downs abandoned their youth policy?

Mamelodi Sundowns, until recently, dominated South African football in terms of silverware as well as producing top-quality youngsters that are promoted from the team's youth development structures.

- 

Think back to the likes of the late Motjeka Madisha, Thabo Moloisane, Themba Zwane, Keagan Dolly, Percy Tau and Cassius Mailula, as some of the team's development products that went on to make a name for themselves even at Bafana Bafana level. That conveyor belt has somehow stopped operating in recent years with the club's focus seemingly more on ready-made players in pursuit of silverware and local and continental football dominance. Ka Bo Yellow's senior team is dominated by experienced internationals with very little room for young talent to get a look into. Subsequently, several of the team's development products are scattered across the country in search of regular game-time with the hope of making it back to the senior team, one day, as was the case with Tau and Zwane, for instance. The question is, have Downs abandoned their youth policy while teams like Orlando Pirates have adopted it?

Over the past few month, the landscape of South African football has witnessed some intriguing shifts, particularly in the relationship between club performances, their contributions to the national team as well as the DStv Diski Challenge.

For the first time in almost a decade, we go to the Christmas recess without Sundowns at the summit of the Betway Premiership log standings, as they are sitting second, behind Pirates. Downs also only have five players representing the team in coach Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana team going to Afcon in Morrocco, compared to Pirates' nine. Only half the number of representatives the Chloorkop-based side had in the previous Afcon, where Bafana came back with a bronze medal, has been selected. Ka Bo Yello's development side, DDC, is second on the log behind Pirates despite playing one more game than Bucs. They've won seven, drawn five and lost once in 13 matches, collecting 26 points.