‘They’ve improved a lot’: Sundowns coach Mokwena on what he’s seen from Chiefs

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says Kaizer Chiefs are clearly still a team finding themselves under a new head coach in Molefi Ntseki, but that he has already seen improvements in their squad and aspects of their approach.

As Sundowns prepared to meet Chiefs in Wednesday's Women's Day DStv Premiership fixture at Lucas Moripe Stadium (3pm), Mokwena singled out the new centreback combination of Thatayaone Ditlhokwe and Given Msimango as having stabilised a problem department for Amakhosi last season.

After six-time successive league champions Downs opened their campaign with a 2-1 win against Sekhukhune United in Polokwane on Friday, Mokwena and his technical team were in the stands at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday to watch Chiefs' 0-0 draw against Chippa United.

As per norm, Sundowns' coach was not shy to give a detailed breakdown of what he has seen of Chiefs under Ntseki, who has replaced Arthur Zwane as head coach after the former Amakhosi winger steered the Naturena club to fifth place in the league and two cup semifinals in 2022-23.

“The starting point is we have to respect our opponent — Kaizer Chiefs are no different,” Mokwena said. “You know the rivalry between Sundowns and Chiefs and already that makes it a big encounter.

“With the performances of the team, of course you have to also engage with some of the technical changes made. They’ve got a new coach so he needs time to work on his ideas and get the players to adapt to a different way of doing things.

“It’s a bit clear that, even though they haven’t moved too far from the 4-2-3-1, there are moments where it’s a bit more aggressive with a 4-3-3 and the front three is a bit more in the advance line than in the previous season under coach Arthur.

“That also shows in the profile — you’ve got Ranga [Chivaviro], possibilities of [Christian] Saile who’s a striker, Ashley du Preez who plays upfront, so a front three that really is made up of strikers.

“They've kept with the midfield two with the base. [There] they’ve played around with the combination with [Edson] Castillo or [Sabelo] Zwane, or Castillo and [Siyethemba] Sithebe and [against Chippa] where they had Yusuf Maart and Castillo.

“Then they have possibilities for a 10 [playmaker]. [Mduduzi] Mdantsane has been tried there, both inside and outside. [Tebogo] Potsane has been tried inside and outside in the friendlies. They had [Nkosingiphile] Ngcobo and [Mduduzi] Shabalala interchanging into that position [against Chippa].

“That gives them that possibility of having a second striker, and depending on the profile of the second striker it is either a central midfielder who collapses closer to the 6 and the 8, or a 10 who folds a bit closer to the 9.

“But you still have very aggressive fullbacks with Sifiso Hlanti and Reeve Frosler so you know those possibilities of final-third entries and crosses.

“For sure maybe the biggest improvement was that I think Chiefs' two centrebacks give them a lot of stability this year. They were a lot stronger defending the box with Ditlhokwe and Msimango.

“Big respect to Chiefs. In the physical profile they’ve got enough to hurt you both in open play and on set pieces.

“You’ve got to understand that it’s a team in the process of improving itself and it does seem to me that qualitatively they’ve improved a lot.”

Sundowns fielded a number of their new signings, who impressed against Sekhukhune, including Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who started and scored.

Winger Thapelo Maseko and midfielder Junior Mendieta came off the bench.