Rulani Mokwena says that Mamelodi Sundowns want to go into the CAF Champions League quarter-finals with a winning momentum, while he also responded to Pitso Mosimane’s comment about no one wanting to meet defending champions Al Ahly in the last eight.
The Sundowns Co-Head Coach says that there are no second chances once you reach the knockout stages, and so it is important that from a psychological point-of-view, they are in the right frame of mind.
Sundowns had already qualified for the last eight after just four group games.
Mokwena warns that CR Belouizdad are a well-coached football team, and they need to be at their best this afternoon when the two teams meet.
“We have gone through a very good patch, we have played five games, they had a good result against TP Mazembe and they have lost one and drawn two,” Mokwena told Sundowns media.
“CR Belouizdad is an interesting match, we are serious people and we try to set the tone as the technical team.”
“They are a very good team, well-coached with very interesting schemes, especially with their fullbacks. Let’s see what happens on the day of the game.” .
“From a psychological perspective, we want to make sure we get to the knockout stages on a good winning momentum, so that we have the convictions that we can win in Africa and that is important.”
“When you get to the knockout stages there are no second chances.”
Mokwena also responded to recent comments by former Sundowns and now Al Ahly coach, Pitso Mosimane, who stated that no teams want to meet the defending champions in the last eight.
“Ja, ja, ja, no, I think Coach Pitso is right. Who want to play the defending champions except Mamelodi Sundowns?”
“We welcome it, because that’s the competition, you know once you get to the last eight, you get to the last four. You get to play anybody, and you’ve got to play all the best teams in that space and I think if Coach Pitso is honest, I don’t think he wants to play (Sundowns), I don’t think so.”
