Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena says they are still within reach of their target in their CAF Champions League group despite dropping four points.
Sundowns lost to TP Mazembe away 1-0 and laboured to a 0-0 draw against Pyramids at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday afternoon.
Mokwena cut a dejected figure in the post-match press conference despite still topping the group on goal difference where all four sides are level on four points after three games.
“For me, I’d like to have a little more control of our destiny but okay, three games for everybody, four points for everybody – yeah let’s keep going match by match and keep trying to get more points,” Mokwena said after the game.
“We know what the target is, there’s still three games to go and we’re within reach of the target for the number of points.”
Mokwena refused to entertain much of the subdued performances when asked where the individual brilliance was to unlock the resolute defence of the Egyptian Premier League side.
“I don’t want to go that direction because if I go that direction, I think it’s my job to make sure the players know how important it is to qualify and when I don’t get that desire, it’s not necessary the performances of the players,” Mokwena explained about the lack of impetus.
“It’s the number of games and volume of games we’re playing, so if the message doesn’t go through to the players then I have to look at myself first, I have to say did I deliver the message properly, I start with myself.
“I think maybe I didn’t deliver the message well enough to understand how important it was to win this game – but okay, it is what it is, we have to try to recover, we have an important game mid-week and then we prepare for the return fixture [in Cairo]. It’s a long month with many games to go.”
Sundowns face off against Cape Town Spurs on Wednesday before the trip to Cairo to face Pyramids this weekend.
