Mamelodi Sundowns advanced into the CAF Champions League semi-finals, where they will take on ES Tunis on Friday, 19 April in the first leg.
Their coach Rulani Mokwena has come out to discuss Sundowns' progress in what has been a uniquely challenging season taking into consideration the amount of competitions they have participated in.
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The Brazilians are expected to wrap up the PSL title soon, they have already won the African Football League and lost in the MTN8 final through a penalty shootout (against Orlando Pirates).
Following their CAFCL quarter-final second-leg against Young Africans, where Sundowns progressed after another penalty shootout, Mokwena is taking stock of his team.
“For me, it’s already an improvement on last season. One trophy already, massive gap in the league, semi-finals again (of the Champions League), which we were in last season and we were in the final of the MTN8 which is a final we didn’t make last season,” Mokwena told the media in the press conference.
“So, I’m very proud with what I see as an improvement and if it’s just a marginal improvement then it’s enough for me and big, big congratulations and credit to the players.
“This is the Champions League and anyone who expects it to not be difficult doesn’t understand how difficult this competition is, it’s a very, very tough competition.
“That’s why we’ve only won it once in I don’t know how many attempts so it tells you how difficult this competition is,” he added.
With the Brazilians being favourites for the Champions League, Mokwena dismissed that tag considering the historical dominance of Al Ahly.
“We are entitled to absolutely nothing, I hear a lot of people say Sundowns are favourites. You got to have won the competition a couple of times to be favourites, you don’t get the favourites tag because you play well and everyone just thinks ‘ah, they will win’.
“You got to earn it and know how to win, you saw Al Ahly last week against Simba, only one chance and nothing, nothing and they do it season in, season out. They know how to navigate their way through this competition and that’s what we’re learning to do.
“To navigate our way through this competition, to take the role with the punches and continue to roll on,” Mokwena explained.
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