Mokwena cautious of banana skin in Sundowns’ Cup quarter against Tuks

Aware of a potential banana skin in the form of University of Pretoria, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena trod carefully during his prematch press conference by asking for them to be respected. 

Tuks, who are in second place in the Motsepe Foundation Championship with seven matches remaining, have the potential to end Sundowns’ impressive run of 19 games without defeat in all competitions. 

The Brazilians, who are odds-on favourites to win a record-extending seventh league title, last tasted defeat in December when they lost 2-1 to TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi in the group stages of the Champions League. 

“The focus is to try to respect the opposition,” Mokwena said. 

“They are a good side with a good coach [Tlisane Motaung]. He is a coach who has earned his stripes because I remember during my youth coaching days I would see him at the Tuks training facilities coaching the juniors and the Castle League sides.” 

Mokwena said though Tuks will be without key attackers Thabang Sibanyoni and Promise Mkhuma, who are on loan from Sundowns and barred contractually from playing against their parent club, they remain a quality and dangerous side. 

“They have a good team. I watched their game against Moroka Swallows, which is a team I enjoy watching and not because it is coached by Musa Nyatama.

“Tuks played well against Swallows and I thought they were good. Though they have Sibanyoni out, they still have good attackers [such as] Delano Abrahams who can play wingback [on either side]. 

“Against Cape Town Spurs he played as a striker. He is powerful, good with both feet and can cause a lot of problems. They have good wingbacks on both sides who deliver the ball early. 

“They will miss Camagu Mdevulala who has been important for them but Thabiso Mokoena has a lot of experience and he is the guy who kills off the attacks of the opposition. He also gives a pass to players such as Samuel Julies. 

“And the back three are experienced with [Tshepiso] Mahlangu, Harold Majadibodu and the Namibian goalkeeper Edward Maova who was at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“They are a good team and one will treat them with a lot of respect because we want to see ourselves in the semifinal. We have to work hard. We have started our analysis of the opposition, they are strong on transition, second balls, direct attacks and putting pressure around the box.

“We played a team with a similar formation and approach in Cape Town Spurs this week and it was a good dress rehearsal.”

The match has been moved across town from Tuks Stadium in Hatfield to Atteridgeville. Motaung said Sundowns respected the decision which was necessitated by logistics. 

“We would have loved to play at our stadium. Some of our players are just coming up at senior level and the hostility will be bigger compared with at our stadium where we are able to control it.  

“But from a logistics point of view, a decision had to be taken and one respects it and we move on.”