Rulani Mokwena says that the postponement of Mamelodi Sundowns’ CAF Champions League game against CR Belouizdad threw a bit of a spanner in the works.
Sundowns were due to play against the Algerians last weekend, but were unable to travel to Algeria due to the country’s Covid-19 protocols.
The match has now been rescheduled to be played at a neutral venue in Tanzania.
Mokwena says as a team, they prepare their program in cycles, so it interfered with their process.
But the Sundowns Co-Head Coach says they will need to adapt, as it is a circumstance that is out of their control.
“Whenever there is a change in the program it puts a spanner in the works, the reality is that everyone wants to work in a way where everything is pre-planned and then we can navigate our way through the program that has been sent, particularly because we are quite big on our periodisation,” Mokwena told the club’s media department.
“When we plan, we plan for cycles that are within the program of the entire season. It’s not just one game [that has been changed], it becomes about adapting to the cycle so that it fits into the next one.”
“Unfortunately, it is what it is, the best thing we can try to do is to have the right perspective. It is now clear that we have two games sitting in our pockets for a little bit later in the season, we just have to adapt.”
“We just have to work towards allowing ourselves enough time to improve the team, we know that we have a lot of things to improve, our schemes need to improve, our performances need to get better. We have a bit of time to recoup and refresh the team and work to make sure that physically we are fresh and ready to go for the next cycle. The way we play, the game demands a lot of physical execution from us.”
