Sundowns coach Mosimane: ‘You have to give it to Chiefs – they have won nothing for 5 or 6 years’

04 September 2020 - 11:27 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Pitso Mosimane (coach) of Mamelodi Sundowns during the virtual press conferences of the Absa Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns on August 27, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Pitso Mosimane (coach) of Mamelodi Sundowns during the virtual press conferences of the Absa Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns on August 27, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says securing a Caf Champions League spot for the seventh successive season is more important to him than winning the league.

Next season the Brazilians return to the continental competition that they won in 2016 where Mosimane will be looking to become one of the few coaches to have won it twice.

“We must try to win the Nedbank Cup but what is more important for me and my team is the Champions League spot‚” said Mosimane‚ as Sundowns prepared to take on Black Leopards at Dobsonville Stadium in their last match of the Absa Premiership season on Saturday where they have every chance of beating Kaizer Chiefs to the title.

“We go again for the seventh year in a row and that shows we are credible‚ we are a team of substance and not lucky to do what we are doing. The dates of the Champions League have been given and this time we have three teams from Africa qualifying for the Fifa Club World Cup.

“That profile is big for the club and we must fight for the top three positions in the Champions League to qualify for the Club World Cup. If you don’t win the league‚ you don’t win the league but you gave your best.”

Though he is happy with Champions League qualification‚ Mosimane is still fighting on two fronts as Sundowns are very much in the Premiership race and on Tuesday compete in the Nedbank Cup final against Bloemfontein Celtic for a rare domestic treble. Downs won the Telkom Knockout with a 2-1 victory against Maritzburg United in December.

“We need to win our last match in the league and bow out like competitors and credible people‚” Mosimane said while taking a characteristic dig at Chiefs for not having won a trophy in five years.

“You have to give it to Chiefs. I mean they have won nothing for the past five or six years. They are a big team and they deserve something to be honest and they fought for it. So‚ it’s okay because you can’t win everything but we are fighting.

“We made the semifinal stage of the MTN8‚ won the Telkom Knockout and made the final of Nedbank Cup and now it’s like we have made the final of the league. That shows that we are a team of substance and we are credible.

“I think you know how many games we have played now – you can calculate the number of games we have played. We have to be thankful but we are going to do our best in our last league match against Leopards and we will leave our skin on the pitch.”

The Premiership’s “Super Saturday” finish sees Kaizer Chiefs (56 points and a +21 goal difference) meet Baroka FC at Bidvest Stadium. If Chiefs fail to win‚ and Sundowns (56 points‚ +18) beat Leopards the Brazilians will win the league.

If Chiefs and Pirates both win‚ Downs will need at least a 5-0 win‚ depending on Amakhosi’s scoreline‚ to lift the trophy.

Tuesday’s Nedbank final is at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein at 2pm.

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