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Sundowns dream of clean sweep of major trophies
Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena sent a warning to their rivals that his side is gunning for every trophy on offer this season.
Rulani Mokwena, Head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns during CAF Champions League 2023/24 training and press conference at Chloorkop in Midrand on Thursday. (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
Don’t expect Mamelodi Sundowns to take their foot off the paddle despite leading 4-0 from the first leg of the preliminary second round encounter against Bumamuru in the CAF Champions League.
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Barring an unlikely collapse at the hands of the Burundian top-flight side, the Brazilians are all but guaranteed a place in the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition.
Sundowns are already in the final of the MTN8 and their head coach Rulani Mokwena sent a warning to their rivals that his side is gunning for every trophy on offer this season.
“Would I back this team? (to win every competition) Yes, 100%, otherwise I shouldn’t be coaching them,” Mokwena answered when asked if his Sundowns charges are capable of lifting every championship in front of them.
“It’s not a question about backing them but it’s a question of understanding how difficult that dream is. It’s not a goal or an obsession but it’s a dream, it’s something we work for everyday to win every single match.
“This group knows they’ve got my backing 150% but it’s also about accepting how difficult it is and also understand that even the team that attempted to do an ‘operation vat alles’ didn’t even win the league and that is the most important trophy in any domestic competition.”
Sundowns completed a clean sweep of all domestic trophies on offer in the 2021-2022 season. Masandawana’s treble consisted of the DStv Premiership, MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. They only missed out on the coveted champions league.
“We should never take it for granted that we have a God-given right to win every championship,” the 36-year-old coach said.
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“For a fact that it (one team winning every competition) has never been done before speaks to how difficult it is. But we still attempt because it’s the ideology of perfection once again.
“We accept that there will be times where we’re not going to win every single match and trophies but we will definitely give it our best to win everything, that’s one thing for sure.”
Kick-off at Lucas Moripe Stadium for Saturday’s Bumamuru clash is at 18:00.
