Sundowns could be PSL champs tomorrow playing in CAF tie

Mokwena calls for focus, win in last group clash

Neville Khoza Journalist
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena is eyeing a win against Coton Sport of Cameroon in CAF Champions League tomorrow at Loftus Versfeld.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena is eyeing a win against Coton Sport of Cameroon in CAF Champions League tomorrow at Loftus Versfeld.
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

With the possibility of the title having been sewn up by the time they face Coton Sport in the CAF Champions League tomorrow (Loftus Versfeld, 9pm), Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena will still demand full focus and commitment from his players. 

Sundowns could be champions by 7.30pm tomorrow, when Chippa United and SuperSport United’s DStv Premiership match will have ended. If SuperSport fail to win, Sundowns will be confirmed as champions for the sixth time in a row.

The Brazilians will return to league action on Tuesday when they host Cape Town City.

But Mokwena is in a happy place as his team will be watching from afar before playing their final group match against Cameroon side Coton. But even though they have qualified for the knockout stage in the Champions League, the Downs coach still wants his men to give it their all.

“If the results can go for us and mathematically it is done, we will be happy with that because it allows us even emotionally not so much from a tactical and effort space because we still have games to play,” Mokwena explained to the media during the press conference yesterday.

“We have to play them with the best intensity, with the best focus and concentration and the same desire. But I don’t think I will doubt my team because they have never given me a reason to doubt them in terms of the level of focus.

“We played Al Ahly [in the Champions League] and the next game we played Royal AM [league] and we needed the same level of focus and concentration and they delivered. But they also know if there is any situation where we are complacent, they know there will be problems from me. There is no space for that. We don’t operate in that space.”

Mokwena emphasised the need to win their last group match and take the winning mentality to the knockout stage.

“Very important, we spoke about it today [yesterday] in the morning with the players. Important for us to finish number one in the group,” he said. “So we want to finish first and we want to make sure that we complete the group stages with the same excellence. Winning is a habit.”

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