Chiefs, Pirates would get more praise for such results: Sundowns boss Mokwena

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena believes the results he achieves at the Pretoria club would receive more recognition if they were achieved by one of the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates.

Sundowns have not lost domestically, and then on penalties, since their defeat against TS Galaxy in the last 16 of the Carling Knockout in October.

They have lost twice continentally, though one of those (2-1) came in the first leg of the inaugural African Football League final against Wydad Athletic, where Downs won the home leg 2-0 to lift the trophy in November. The other was a 1-0 defeat away to TP Mazembe in the Caf Champions League, which did not stop Sundowns winning group A and reaching the quarterfinals.

In Sundowns’ past 26 matches across the staggering six competitions they are competing in during the 2023-2024 campaign, they have lost four times — the other defeat was also on penalties to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final in October — won 15 times and drawn seven times.

It has become expected of the six-time successive DStv Premiership champions, who compete in the Champions League knockout stages almost each campaign.

Mokwena was asked how much pressure there is to keep winning and if he believes such spectacular results would receive more recognition if they were achieved by Chiefs or Pirates.

“I’m under a lot of pressure. I have to win every game but that’s the nature of the business,” the coach said at Monday’s Nedbank Cup quarterfinal draw where Sundowns were pitted in a home clash against University of Pretoria FC.

“I agree with you [the questioner], I think you are correct to say if you were to give the current results [by Sundowns] to any one of the Soweto giants, I think there would be a little more appreciation.

“But OK, it is what it is. When you are at a big club such as Sundowns, winning is not enough — you’ve got to win and continue to win and that’s my life.

“It’s something I’ve accepted and that was the life of my predecessors and will be my life for the foreseeable future.”

Sundowns have recent experience of how tricky Nedbank Cup matches against teams from the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) can be, having battled to overcome that league’s 10th-placed team, Maritzburg United, in the last 16 on Sunday. A late brace from Thembinkosi Lorch (74th and 95th) earned Downs the win at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

The Brazilians have loaned players to Tuks for game time and source talent from the university club. The teams signed a five-year partnership agreement in 2021 to “collaborate in growing and improving the game through knowledge-sharing from both parties and providing training opportunities for up and coming youth players”, Tuks' website says.

Tuks are coached by the promising Tlisane Motaung, who has steered them to second place in the MFC. They beat troubled Premiership team Moroka Swallows 2-1 in the last 16 at Tuks Stadium last Wednesday.

“I’m quite fond of coach Tlisane — I’ve seen him come through the ranks as a youth coach and in the varsity leagues and as an assistant for the pro side,” Mokwena said.

“He’s done an incredible job to fight and develop and become one of the promising coaches in our country.

“I watched his team against Swallows and I thought they were worthy winners. They’ve got good players — the Namibian international in goals [Edward Maova], [Thabang] Sibanyoni upfront, Promise [Mkhuma]. These are players I know well.

“They are a good team fighting for promotion in the first division. We saw against Maritzburg how aggressive these games can be and I expect nothing different.”