Sundowns can break records in second leg against La Passe, says Sphelele Mkhulise

Mamelodi Sundowns’ hard-working midfielder Sphelele “Pitso” Mkhulise has said playing against minnows such as La Passe of Seychelles in the Champions League provided a big opportunity to break records in Caf club competitions.

Sundowns breezed past the Indian Ocean islanders with a 7-0 victory and could have scored more goals if they hadn't missed a handful of opportunities.

They will surely get another chance to increase the tally and break more records in the second meeting at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Friday (5.30pm).

La Passe are playing both their matches in South Africa because they do not have facilities that meet Caf requirements in Seychelles.

“We cannot afford to lose focus, even though we are leading 7-0. We have to remain focused and go for more goals and records. At Sundowns the culture is about winning every match. We do not know what the record is for Caf matches, but we can keep scoring more goals. Other players will also be working hard to impress the coaches and to win a place in the starting line-up,” Mkhulise said.

“For my growth, I think I have to listen to the coaches. I have to work hard, I have to run, I have to score goals, I have to assist, that’s what they tell us. You must always work hard and stay focused because when you get a chance, you must be ready and take it,” he added.

Mkhulise received rave reviews from his coach Manqoba Mngqithi, who said the midfielder was grossly underrated and one of the best ball dribblers in the country.

“Very few people know that he is one of the best dribblers in the country ... But it is just that he is an introvert and he is not arrogant, as we would like him to be. Arrogant and offensive players can determine the result of a game. In terms of establishing and consolidating our play, he is one player we will always go back to and say 'make the team play' when we are not playing very well,” Mngqithi said.

“One of the reasons we promoted him is because we wanted something close to Themba Zwane, a player who can help us in the attacking third. It’s something nice and refreshing when I hear the boy talking the way he talks because this is the kind of talk we have about him with the other coaches,” he added.