I can’t be a Sundowns coach and celebrate draws, says Mokwena

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena might have celebrated Khuliso Mudau’s late equaliser against Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 first leg semi-final at FNB Stadium.

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The 36-year-old jumped and punched the air in celebration before running towards the corner flag to celebrate with his players as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. However, Mokwena insists celebrating a stalemate is unheard of at defending DStv Premiership champions.

The Brazilians will be aiming to avoid last season’s heartache of exiting the MTN8 at this stage of the competition.

The loss to eventual champions Orlando Pirates prompted the club’s management into making structural changes to the technical team where Mokwena ascended to the role of a sole head coach, a responsibility he previously shared with Manqoba Mngqithi as co-coaches.

“I have to the careful because I can’t be a Sundowns coach and celebrate draws,” Mokwena stated.

“I will get into big trouble so, I don’t know if you know what I mean. I don’t know how to feel about it but there’s a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for sure.

“Maybe not for the scoreline but for the performance in its entirety and the process of showing desire of wanting to win every single match and I think that is still important to us as a club.

“I want to congratulate the players for a very dominant performance. 71% ball possession against a team like Kaizer Chiefs at FNB is not easy. I think we deserved to win and at the very least we didn’t deserve to lose. Congrats to the players for the fighting spirit and showing a big heart against all odds.”

Mokwena bemoaned losing influential captain Themba Zwane early in the game a freak collision with Amakhosi midfielder Yusuf Maart where he needed stitching above his eye.

“I get asked how important Themba Zwane is and he’s important to how we want to play and he’s our captain,” he said.

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“Losing him was a big blow and we’re literally down to the bare bones with the attacking department with the strikers and we have to make do with what we have. He was playing as a 9 and 10. 

“We don’t have Thapelo Maseko, Thapelo Morena, Nasir Abubeker, Peter Shalulile but at Mamelodi Sundowns I don’t get paid to make excuses. I’m paid to find solutions together with the technical team we did our best today and the subs were very good.”

The two teams will battle it out for a spot in final of the lucrative competition when they meet again in the second leg on September 23 with Sundowns holding an away goal advantage.