Mokwena: If the league is easy, why aren’t other teams doing what we do?

When you look at the DStv Premiership and see that Mamelodi Sundowns are sitting comfortably at the summit with a 22-point gap over Richards Bay, it is fair to suggest that the league is a stroll for the defending champions.

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But Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena says it is unfair for the public to assume that Downs have it easy. Bafana Ba Style beat Sekhukhune 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games.

“The PSL is extremely competitive and sometimes you win games and people think it is a God-given right to win games. You only have to look at why others are not doing what we are doing because it is very difficult, otherwise everybody will be doing it.

“I say compliments to the players and I applaud them all the time but it is not because I have nothing else to say, but it is because it is genuine and it is well deserved praise. Two weeks ago, I got a report from a European-based analyst and he looked at the team, and the report shows that the numbers compare with the best teams in the world.

“This group of players works very hard for every single action, from video analysis and correction, to training and every training session matters. For you to have that, it is not easy because it is demanding. Because it is happening, people should not, under no circumstances, be perceived as being very easy,” said Mokwena.

‘Rivals make us stronger’

Downs’ next opponent are rivals Orlando Pirates, who were the last team that Bafana Ba Style failed to score against when they received a 3-0 drubbing in the semifinals of the MTN8 last year.

But Mokwena lauds such performances against them, saying strong competition from the likes of cross-town foes, SuperSport United, who are one of two teams to beat Sundowns in the league this season — the other being TS Galaxy — can only make them better.

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“If you look at a lot of teams such as Real Madrid, for them to go to a different level, they needed Barcelona to push them. Bayern Munich needed Borussia Dortmund to push them. Manchester City needed Liverpool to be better. Without a rival going extremely intense with you, it becomes difficult to go on an upward trajectory,” concluded Mokwena.