Mamelodi Sundowns tactician Rulani Mokwena has recounted the tale of career-threatening tackles his players customarily incur when they play Orlando Pirates, hoping this and the "harassment of referees" won't be the case in the final.
Sundowns and Pirates face-off in the MTN8 final at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (6pm).
"We know and understand the magnitude of the assignment. Hopefully, it's a very good game of football without the harassment of referees, without the physicality with tackles that are over the top,'' Mokwena said during a media conference at the club's Chloorkop headquarters yesterday.
"Almost every game we lose a player against Pirates like with a very, very severe injury to Haashim Domingo [who left the club for Moroccan side Raja Casablanca before this season started] in the Carling Black Label [at the hands of Tapelo Xoki, who was sent off for that dangerous tackle in November].
"Nasir [Abubakar] is still not here because of the situation with [Siyabonga] Mpontshane [who cluttered into his knee, ruling him out for months in December] and [Nkosinathi] Sibisi took Marcelo [Allende] out on the halfway line with a studs-up two-footed tackle. Marcelo hasn't really recovered from that [tackle from the last meeting between the two sides that Sundowns won 1-0 three weeks ago]."
Mokwena went on to say people should remember the kind of football both teams played after the game, not the "handbags" that have featured in most of the meetings between these two sides.
"So, I am hoping for a game that doesn't have too much of those and we have more football and the people are able to talk about the football and less about the handbags, hopefully that is the type of game we get to witness,'' Mokwena emphasised.
The Sundowns coach also sounded rather fazed by Pirates' unpredictability in relation to how they start and finish halves.
"The detail is in the fact that the personality of Pirates during 90 minutes isn't the same. In all our encounters [with them], the way they start is not the same way they finished the first half; also, the way they start the second half... it's not the same way they finished the match,'' Mokwena stated.
Mokwena warns refs ahead of MTN8 final with Orlando Pirates
Coach wants players protected against tackles
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns tactician Rulani Mokwena has recounted the tale of career-threatening tackles his players customarily incur when they play Orlando Pirates, hoping this and the "harassment of referees" won't be the case in the final.
Sundowns and Pirates face-off in the MTN8 final at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (6pm).
"We know and understand the magnitude of the assignment. Hopefully, it's a very good game of football without the harassment of referees, without the physicality with tackles that are over the top,'' Mokwena said during a media conference at the club's Chloorkop headquarters yesterday.
"Almost every game we lose a player against Pirates like with a very, very severe injury to Haashim Domingo [who left the club for Moroccan side Raja Casablanca before this season started] in the Carling Black Label [at the hands of Tapelo Xoki, who was sent off for that dangerous tackle in November].
"Nasir [Abubakar] is still not here because of the situation with [Siyabonga] Mpontshane [who cluttered into his knee, ruling him out for months in December] and [Nkosinathi] Sibisi took Marcelo [Allende] out on the halfway line with a studs-up two-footed tackle. Marcelo hasn't really recovered from that [tackle from the last meeting between the two sides that Sundowns won 1-0 three weeks ago]."
Mokwena went on to say people should remember the kind of football both teams played after the game, not the "handbags" that have featured in most of the meetings between these two sides.
"So, I am hoping for a game that doesn't have too much of those and we have more football and the people are able to talk about the football and less about the handbags, hopefully that is the type of game we get to witness,'' Mokwena emphasised.
The Sundowns coach also sounded rather fazed by Pirates' unpredictability in relation to how they start and finish halves.
"The detail is in the fact that the personality of Pirates during 90 minutes isn't the same. In all our encounters [with them], the way they start is not the same way they finished the first half; also, the way they start the second half... it's not the same way they finished the match,'' Mokwena stated.
Xoki confident Pirates' recent cup run will see them past Sundowns
Riveiro believes Sundowns bring best out of Pirates
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos