CAPE TOWN – Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena believes the defending champions are still much in the driving seat despite dropping points on Sunday.
The log leaders dropped points for the first time in the DStv Premiership season after playing to a goalless draw against Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium.
Sundowns are still comfortable sitting at the top of the summit with 34 points having played 12 matches, still with three games in hand.
When he was asked if the results against City wouldn’t affect the team’s momentum and if he was not worried that games in hand might go the other way, Mokwena said anything could happen.
“All the games of football, the result belongs to anybody. It’s not just these games – and I’m not worried, we are number one in the [CAF] Champions League group. And everyone’s talking and making hoo-ha,” said Mokwena.
“But we are number one in the Champions League group, we are number one in the League – even with the difficult schedule that we have.
“So we were in the final of the MTN8, we won the AFL [African Football League]. So really, really, really, when I look at what we’ve done for the first round of the season, I mean, you’ve got to appreciate what this group of players has done.”
Mokwena praised the teams’ effort despite the tight schedule the team is playing under.
He says it’s not guaranteed to win every match, even the title.
“You know, incredible effort, every single match, they give the best that they can. And as I say to you, you are not entitled to win,” he said.
“So the result in football belongs to anyone. If you want to make a reference, go to Chelsea. Not so long ago, they were winning the Champions League. They’ve probably spent the most over the last two seasons.
“And where are the results? Go to Manchester United. They were dominating league titles for many years, maybe 20 years they were winning – where are they now? Out of the Champions League group stages. Number last in the Champions League.
“That’s football, the results belong to anybody – Manchester City, in the last five games, how many wins? This is football, you know? Now, do you want to tell me City all of a sudden becomes a team that’s not winning? That’s not good enough, when out of five games, maybe they’ve won one. It’s very, very difficult.
“They’ve won one, maybe two actually out of the last five – Luton [Town] and maybe now with the final and the semi-final of the Club World Cup. In the English Premier League, how many games?
Mokwena adds: “It’s very difficult, football is very difficult – anyway, the game teaches you every single day. And I watch a lot of football,” he says.
“I read a lot about football, I’m a football maniac. So I know what this game does.
“And it still continues to teach me more. That’s why I watch so much, you know, so it is what it is.
“Who would have guessed that [Bayer] Leverkusen would be unbeaten in 25 games in the Bundesliga? Who would have put money on that at the beginning of the season? Nobody.
“Everyone expects Bayern Munich to be winning, that’s number one – they are not.
“That’s football, so you have to go with it and you have to keep trying and you have to keep trying and you have to keep trying and focus on the process.
“The most important thing is the process. The process says, what’s the idea? How do you want to play?
“Is that consistent in every single game? And I think when you watch Sundowns, you can see some form of consistency in the ideas that we want to try to implement on the pitch.
“And then you look for the indicators. Are you creating enough chances? Are you giving chances to the opposition? Are you making less mistakes than the opposition? Those are the types of things that I as a football coach look for. Not the result.”
Image: @Masandawana/ Twitter
