Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena was full of praise for his players despite their shock defeat against TP Mazembe in the CAF Champions League this weekend.
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"I love my players. They have already proved that they are the best in the African continent, and when they lose, we lose together and the responsibility also lies on the shoulders of the coach," he said following the defeat.
It was perhaps one of the biggest upsets in Group A on Saturday when the Brazilians fell to a Glody Likonza – led TP Mazembe at the Stade TP Mazembe.
Official statistics suggest that Sundowns, as they usually do, were the better team on the day and dominated in terms of ball possession and shots on target but it was the side from DRC who claimed all three points, though Downs remain on top of the log standings.
Speaking to the media after the match, Mokwena hailed his side's efforts, saying his players gave it all they had, though it wasn't enough to secure even a point on the day.
"Congratulations to TP Mazembe on the win. Of course, we are not happy to lose the match, especially when you consider the number of chances we created. We had clear cut chances. I remember we hit the crossbar upright three times. There was a very good save in the second half where Peter Shalulile had a one on one with the goalkeeper who made a save with his feet. The type of goal that we conceded is a little bit difficult to stomach but of course what matters at the end of the day are the results. With a lot of grace and humility we accept defeat and congratulate our opponents for winning," he said.
"In football, you can win, lose or draw, so no result surprises me because when you start the match you either win, lose or draw. Today we lost the game even though I think the team with better chances lost the match. I still need to watch the game, that's why I can't say we were the better team but I know we had so many chances and we should have scored," he continued.
Downs' congested schedule means they return to immediate action as an away trip to AmaZulu await them on Wednesday, 6 December.
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