Mokwena to rotate squad in Sundowns dead rubber?

Mamelodi Sundowns’ dead rubber Champions League tie against Al-Hilal might be an opportunity for Rulani Mokwena to rotate his squad, as he has done a couple of times in the DStv Premiership and Nedbank Cup in recent weeks.

Downs are in Sudan to take on Al-Hilal this Saturday, who are looking for a win to secure their place in the knockout stages of the competition.

Mokwena, who was named DStv Premiership Coach of the Month for December and January alongside Ronwen Williams, who got the gong for Player of the Month for the same period, says it does not matter that the Al-Hilal Stadium will be without fans, insisting that Florent Ibenge’s side will come out guns blazing against them.

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“They have won an important game against Al-Ahly in the same conditions, so it will be difficult for us as well. They have got some good players but it is a game that we will work very hard towards to make sure that we win,” said Mokwena.

“The trip (to Sudan) has been daunting because before that, we had to make sure that we play well against a difficult Royal AM side. Coach John Maduka has done incredible since his reappointment. But my players invested a lot of effort in the game because we had to show the desire to win in a different competition.

“We had a bit of rest and an adaptation session and the work continues. The players are working very hard to play against a difficult side in an environment against conditions that will be against us. But the commitment and mentality that we have will always be to our advantage.

“I am very proud of the group and the service that they provide because they make many of us very happy. The work ethic is pleasing to see and we just have to put together the final preparations,” he added.

Individual accolades versus team effort

Meanwhile, Sundowns first team coach, Steve Komphela has his mind made up about who should win the Coach of the Season, saying Mokwena is the first choice for the accolade. However, the latter seems to not dwell much on individual awards as he leans towards the perception that football will always remain a team spot even if individuals are awarded.

“I have always maintained that in football, the most important things are team accolades and the individual awards are a fair reflection of the contribution of everybody. Congratulations to all the players and the technical staff and everybody involved in the team. Thanks to the supporters for pushing us this season.

“We come from a very difficult period where we played a lot of games against good sides. The players showed that they have the grit, and Ronwen showed that he was one of the players who stood out. We have to give him a lot of praise, but Ronwen does not train alone… iron sharpens iron,” said Mokwena.

He added: “The goalkeeper coach, Wendall Robinson, Kennedy Mweene, Reyaad Pieterse, Denis Onyango, all work very hard to compete for the number on jersey. The team plays together and the award is a good reflection of the team.”