Sundowns’ Mokwena says player development is his ‘greatest high’

Rulani Mokwena says the individual improvement he sees in Mameloldi Sundowns’ players is what gives him the most pleasure as co-head coach at Masandawana.

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Mokwena and Sundowns are still on track for a domestic treble, with the MTN8 and DStv Premiership already in the bag, and a Nedbank Cup final against Marumo Gallants still to come.

Sundowns will face Stellenbosch FC in their last Premiership home game of the season at the TUKS Stadium on Saturday, a chance to celebrate their league win in front of their own supporters, though they will only be presented with the trophy at Chatsworth Stadium after their final Premiership game of the season at Royal AM on May 21.

“The greatest high for me, what brings me the greatest joy is seeing the performances of some of the players,” said Mokwena this week.

“(Khuliso) Mudau, coming in from Black Leopards, Lyle Lakay, Brian Onyango. Everyone said ‘what are you doing signing him (Onyango), he is finished’ and he was our best centre back in the Champions League. Peter Shalulile, no one expected him to do what he has done (Shalulile has 22 league goals for the season, and still has a chance to break Collins Mbesuma’s Premier Soccer League-era record of 25 league goals in a single campaign.

“People asked why we were signing (Surprise) Ralani, and when he has been carving out 8/10 and 9/10 performances, they are not talking any more. Improving players is always what I have tried to do, when I was at Sundowns as an assistant, at Pirates as an assistant, and here now. There have been a lot of positives, but one that overrides everything has to be the evolution and development of players.”

Sundowns did miss out on the Champions League, going out at the quarterfinal stage, but Mokwena insists this should not distract from their consistency this campaign.

“The team had an exceptional season, everyone speaks of the Champions League asa a failure, and of course it is something we are not proud of. But if you look at the most successful people in the world, they don’t run away from their failures, they appreciate … and embrace them,” he added.

“Because we bombed out of the Champions League, everyone, everyone forgets our incredible season. We have scored more than last season and kept more clean sheets. Out performance levels were probably the most consistent Sundowns have ever had in the last five or six years.”