Mokwena wants Sundowns to ‘enjoy’ Champions League chance

Rulani Mokwena has called on his Mamelodi Sundowns players to enjoy the moment as they take on Champions League holders Wydad Casablanca in a semifinal, first leg at the Stade Mohammed V on Saturday.

“We have to fight and we know nothing is given to you on a silver platter. And we mush also enjoy the opportunity, these are moments that come once in a lifetime,” said Mokwena this week.

Mokwena is aiming to take Sundowns to a first Champions League title since 2016, when they had their only success thus far in the continent’s most prestigious club competition.

Back then, Mokwena was an assistant coach to Pitso Mosimane and now he has a real chance to win the competition in his own right, having ticked all the boxes so far since taking over as solo head coach in October.

Sundowns have stormed easily to a sixth successive DStv Premiership title, but the cruise control they display at home means that continental dominance has to be the main holy grail.

Ready to conquer

Masandawana’s demolition of Al Ahly in Tswhane in the group stages and of CR Belouizdad, in Algeria, in the quarterfinals, showed signs that this Sundowns side is ready to conquer Africa again.

Wydad will provide another stern test, and have had the better of Sundowns over the years in the knockout stages of the competition, taking them down in the quarterfinals in 2017 and in the semifinals in 2019.

“We know their level, and they know our level,” said Mokwena this week.

“They know we are very good team and that we can play our football with a good mentality …. on any pitch. It will be a good game against the defending champions, with good pedigree in the Champions League. It is an interesting game between two good teams with two good sets of players.”

Wydad have recently changed their head coach, bringing in Belgian Sven Vandenbroeck, who was an assistant to current Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos when he won the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon in 2017.

The Moroccan giants sacked Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido even though he got them to the Champions League semifinals.