Coach Rulani Mokwena says Mamelodi Sundowns will continue to give their best to win the quadruple, despite fatigue starting to creep into the side.
Sundowns are arguably one of the teams – if not the team – to beat on the continent, given their sheer dominance in recent weeks.
The African Football League winners are on the cusp of grabbing four titles as they are still in the race for the Nedbank Cup, DStv Premiership and CAF Champions League.
They tightened their grip on the Premiership and Champions League recently. They are leading the league standings by 13 points, following Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Cape Town Spurs at the Athlone Stadium – courtesy of a Lucas Ribeiro Costa first-half penalty – and are in the continental semi-finals.
We caught up with Man of the Match Mothobi Mvala after last night's hard fought win in tricky conditions at Athlone Stadium! 🌧✅#Sundowns #DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/dYekvVajxe
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) April 10, 2024
Sundowns haven’t been at their best in front of goal, though, mostly winning by 1-0 margins and the lottery of penalty shoot-outs recently.
Mokwena has conceded in recent times that he’s also tired, given the team’s travel all over the continent and quick turnaround time between matches at home.
Speaking at the pre-match media conference yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash against the University of Pretoria (AmaTuks) at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville (7pm kick-off), he emphasised the point about their fatigue.
But such is his drive to ensure that they take the club to dizzying heights this season, you can be assured that they won’t rest on their laurels in the next few weeks.
“Heavy is the head that carries the crown. We asked for the responsibility, and the responsibility comes with what it comes with,” Mokwena said.
“We haven’t been in this position in a long time, where at this point of the season we are still competing for three more trophies.
“As the leadership we just have to make sure that we are on top of our game, and show the energy and desire the players have to breathe off.”
No club in South Africa has won four trophies in one season. And that’s what is driving Mokwena.
“Who has done it before? As much as we want to do it and as much as we think about the possibility of doing it ... but for sure, it’s a very difficult task,” he said.
“And you must think who has done it before. As a youngster – I was probably not even thinking about coaching at that time – I remember Muhsin Ertugral’s Kaizer Chiefs with the ‘Operation Vat Alles’ (Operation Take Everything) … they didn’t win the league, and they had such a good side.”
Mokwena is also driven by the achievements of his predecessor and mentor, Pitso Mosimane, who left an indelible mark on the Brazilians.
Among his other achievements on the continent, Mosimane remains the only coach that has won the coveted Champions League at the club.
And with “Jingles” having also set the highest winning points tally in the league (71) Mokwena is hopeful that they can do better than he did.
Always together 💛 Positive vibes in camp this morning as the team gets ready to continue their intense schedule! 👆#Sundowns pic.twitter.com/xjux29PM8B
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) April 10, 2024
“We want to try and leave the jersey better than we found it,” said Mokwena, before reiterating that they still have a long way to go.
“The level is very high. Under the previous coach (Mosimane), the group was extremely more relentless than we are.
“There is a points tally that no one has broken. We tried last season and we fell one point short. We’ve not won the Champions League yet.”
But before focusing on the Premiership and Champions League, Sundowns must get past their neighbours, the promotion-chasing Tuks, in the cup tomorrow.
After all, for Sundowns to win the quadruple means not only doing well in the league or African football, but in the Nedbank Cup as well, right?