No league title is won in January: Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says the race is not over

A number of Premier Soccer League (PSL) coaches have conceded the DStv Premiership title race is over, but Mamelodi Sundowns' Rulani Mokwena has dismissed that notion.

Mokwena’s charges, who are away to struggling Kaizer Chiefs at Soweto's FNB Stadium on Saturday (8pm), have won 11 games in a row to open a 14-point gap between themselves and second-placed Richards Bay FC.

Sundowns have amassed 43 points from 17 outings, while Richards Bay are on 29 points from 16 matches.

Since Mokwena took over as the sole head coach in October, Sundowns have appeared unstoppable, leading others to say the race is over with at least 15 games to go.

“No (the league is not gone)..

“I’m consistent in my statement. It’s a statement I say in our meetings with the players, where I am always honest with them and they know.

“But because I say it to them, I can say it to you guys as well; they know there’s no league that has ever been won in January,” he said.

Swallows’ Ernst Middendorp and four-time league-winning SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt are among coaches who believe no team will catch Sundowns in the race.

Masandawana are on the hunt for a sixth successive league title and 13 overall.

Against Chiefs on Saturday, Sundowns will be keen to extend their winning run to 12.

Mokwena has supported his Amakhosi under-fire counterpart Arthur Zwane, whose team is going through a rough patch.

Chiefs have suffered two disappointing losses to Sekhukhune United (1-0) and AmaZulu FC (4-0), but Mokwena feels Zwane has done a great job in bid to awaken the sleeping giant.

“He probably would say the same thing, that he would love to see me doing well, but if it was a choice between him and myself, he would definitely want to see himself winning,” Mokwena said.

“The fortunate part is that coaches don’t play the game of football, they are not the most important in the game of football because the game belongs to the players.

“With all the confidence the club and supporters have shown him, of course you would like to see him doing very well as a South African coach, but not at the expense of Mamelodi Sundowns,” he said.

“When you watch the team, you see the identity of the coach. You see the work that has been done. That’s the most important thing for me to acknowledge. He is doing good work and the team looks structured.

“In the end, we are in this business for the result.”