'I told Mvala he's not alone in his down moment'

An emotional Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has come out in support of defender Mothobi Mvala whose late own goal eliminated the club from the CAF Champions League in the semfinals on Saturday.

The own goal gave Wydad Casablanca a 2-2 draw in the packed Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, and thus giving the visitors victory on away-goals rule following a goalless draw in the first round in Morocco a week ago.

On Saturday, Sundowns were seven minutes away from booking a place in the final before Mvala's 83rd minute own goal. Masandawana exit the competition despite having not lost a match throughout the campaign.

Mokwena, however, spared a word of comfort for the 28-year-old defence strongman, saying the club was with him in this difficult moment.

"What said to Mothobi, if anything, in moments like this, there’s two things: one, they say those that don’t make mistakes are those that are probably not doing anything at all," Mokwena told the media after the match.

“And two, I don’t think he’s prepared to listen to the coach at the moment. But he felt the coach’s love, I can definitely assure you of that.

“I gripped the hand firmly, I pulled the body a lot closer, and I gave him the reassurance that he’s not alone and that for me is probably far more important than any of the words I could have uttered.”

Wydad will now face Al Ahly of Egypt in the final next month, a repeat of last year's final which Wydad won at home in Casablanca.