Mokwena – ‘South Africans forget that I’m only 37 years old’

Mamelodi Sundowns’ failure in the Caf Champions League has only fuelled Rulani Mokwena’s desire to try again next season. There will be a lot of soul-searching in the Brazilians’ camp following the semifinal defeat to Esperance on Friday.

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Sundowns fell short in the last four for a second successive season. After admitting that football is results-driven business and that being sacked does cross his mind, Mokwena said they will double their efforts next season

“I have made a promise to the Sundowns supporters that we will win it and I’m a man of integrity. I want to be at this club and that’s why I signed a four-year contract, even though I had bigger clubs making offers. I chose to stay at Sundowns,” he reflected.

“My intentions are to be here and to try to do my best every single day to try and deliver the Champions League trophy. I don’t make decisions on who stays and who goes but while I’m here I will 150% and if it’s not enough like today then I will 200% the next time. Is it experience and maturity, I don’t know what it is but I also have an understanding that this game of football can be very cruel.

“I’ve experienced it before and I’ve been through a lot of failures in my life. That’s why I appreciate success because I know that I’m not guaranteed to succeed. I have failed so many times and this is one of those failures and it’s a failure that I’m prepared to take on. One of the things that I think South African football forgets sometimes and remembers only when it suits them is that I’m only 37-years-old and that I’m only in my first year as a (solo) head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns.

‘I was wrong’

Surprisingly, established stars such as Themba Zwane, Thapelo Morena and Aubrey Modiba all started on the bench against Esperance. Mokwena admits that he got his team selection wrong in what was a must-win game for Tshwane giants who last won the competition in 2016

“I speak to them as much as I possibly can and I explain my reasons why. They don’t always have to agree with my reasons but they know they have to respect the reasons because I’m the coach and I have to make the decisions,” he reflected.

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“Sometimes I’m right and sometimes I’m wrong. Unfortunately in this game of football, it’s the result that determines whether you’re right or wrong. At this moment because we lost and we’re out of the Champions League, I was wrong. I put up my hand and say I was wrong and I take full responsibility for it. It’s something that I have to shoulder as the leader and I can’t hide. Of course, (you have to) face the scrutiny and the negative reactions that will come after and that’s only normal because of the nature of the business.”