Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says losing is a feeling his side does not want to get used to after they were eliminated from the Nedbank Cup by Stellenbosch FC at Athlone Stadium this past weekend.
The Tshwane giants suffered only their fourth loss of the campaign across all competition when they went 2-1 down to Stellies after a brace by Iqraam Rayners cancelled out Lee Langeveldt’s 39th minute own goal.
Sundowns will be hoping to bounce back when they take on CR Belouizdad in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg encounter at the Baraki Stadium on Saturday evening.
Mokwena was pleased with his sides overall performance against Stellies but admits the better team won on the day.
“I thought we lost a lot of the duels, and it’s just been very difficult to find a bit of rhythm in our passes. They forced us into mistakes and we made two big mistakes, they punished us. Today we didn’t have the rhythm and this competitive intensity, but we’ll get it right.
“I am very proud of the players, what they have done this season has been incredible and as I have said so many times, despite the pressures, despite how difficult it is, it’s very tough at the moment. We play against every opponent who has time to prepare for us and we only have one or two days to prepare for an opponent physically.”
“Opponents only play one game per week, of course the element of freshness comes in and you could see it in certain moments today. Tactically they had time to review and come up with plans and solutions, and you can see it also with all the oppositions that we’ve played so far.
“But it’s not for us to find excuses, there’s no excuses, we have to win football matches and when we don’t win, we have to see why we didn’t win. In moments that are a little bit like this, you think if the opponent is better, you take the defeat and you move.”
He added: “It’s a feeling we don’t want to get used to. It’s a feeling that doesn’t sit well with us but okay, it’s part of the game and it’s part of football, you win, lose or draw.
“We lost a very important game, a game that we knew we could not lose but that’s the life of big teams and we have to get used to it. What I will echo, not a lot of credit is given to this team for the amount of work that they’ve done, and for being clearly (in my opinion and maybe for them it’s enough) the best team in the league.
“And when you hear opposition coaches who also have a competitive streak in themselves, saying that clearly they’re the second best team in the country, it is because Sundowns is the benchmark and by far the best team in the country, but that’s not good enough, you’re only as good as your last performance in football.”
“We’ve got to prove every single day, every single training session and every single match that we are the best team in the country and that means we have the responsibility and the pressure of playing under that mark with that tag behind us. It’s not easy, it’s the hardest thing but it’s the best thing to give you the competitive urge. Unfortunately we didn’t have that today and we lost to a better side on the day.”
Photo by Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
