‘After the game he waited in the tunnel’: Sundowns coach Mokwena on Percy Tau

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has spoken again about the mutual admiration between him and Al Ahly attacker Percy Tau as links between the player and the club refuse to go away. 

Tau’s return to the country this weekend was not pleasant as Ahly were comprehensively thrashed 5-2 by Mamelodi Sundowns in the Champions League group stages at Loftus on Saturday. 

Tau scored one of Al Ahly’s goals and was good throughout the game and Mokwena was asked if he would like to be reunited with the attacker, who has had his fair share of challenges in Cairo. 

"I said it before the game and I will say it again, I reserve comment on Percy Tau,” he said. 

"He knows exactly what I think. Before the end of the game I whispered it [to him] and after the game he waited in the tunnel.

"He is an incredible human being. When he is in South Africa he comes to my house and the first thing he does is to take his hat off.  

“I am talking about a Bafana international who has played Uefa Champions League and in the English Premier League. The first sign is respect and good football players have that thing of being good humans. 

"But I don’t want to speak too much about Percy because he is not a Sundowns player and I am very biased. I focus on my players and I am very grateful for the opportunity and blessing to be their coach. Every single one of them have this honesty about them.” 

After the game, Mokwena and Tau shared an emotional embrace on the field before the Al Ahly attacker disappeared into the tunnel. 

Saturday's win saw Downs top the group with 10 points and they have all but qualified for the quarterfinals with two games to go. Sudan's Al-Hilal are second on nine points.

Runaway DStv Premiership leaders Sundowns have a short turnaround to their league match against Royal AM at Loftus on Tuesday (7.30pm).

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