Mamelodi Sundowns co-head coach Rulani Mokwena was happy with his team’s 3-0 win over Swallows FC in the DStv Premiership on Sunday, especially getting a victory against a team that gave them problems last season.
Masandawana remained on top of the table with sixteen points, keeping their unbeaten run this season in all competitions.
Pavol Safranko, off the bench Neo Maema and the in-form striker Peter Shalulile were the goalscorers for Masandawana.
Mokwena and his men will now switch the focus to the CAF Champions League match against the Congolese Maniema Union on the 15th of this month.
“Even though there was some very good individual performances already in the first half, Denis (Onyango) Themba Zwane, Andile Jali, Divine (Lunga), in certain moments, Lyle (Lakay) and the two centre-halves in Grant (Kekana) and Rush (Rushine De Reuck), were focused and putting in very good performances,” Mokwena said in the post match press conference.
“But we still felt that as a team, we just looked to solve a lot of the problems through skill, and the technical superiority that we possess on the pitch, and that we lacked a little bit of intensity and good focus, and that comes in moments when we are in possession of the ball.
“And you can see that our rest defence is not so good. We’ve got a lot of isolations with full-back and wingers, and then they create these possibilities because also with turnovers when we were a little bit lax on the ball, and that was the biggest problem which fortunately, we addressed at half-time and the second half was a lot better.
“More intensive, better aggression in the duels and a bit more competitiveness with the spirit of the team, and a lot more dominance. Of course, Swallows with some very good players on the pitch, they had their moments, but in those moments, we had to be strong, and strong as a team and that’s what we did.
“And kudos to the group, not the best of performances today, still a lot more unforced errors, but we did enough to win the match and congratulations not just to the players but to the technical team, coach Manqoba, coach Steve, coach Wendell, and the rest of the support staff.
“A good victory for the team, important victory against a team that gave us a lot of problems last season, and we move into into the next FIFA break and after that we’ve got CAF Champions League match, so ja, good.”
