What the Sundowns coach said after the last week’s loss to TP Mazembe: “We Are Not Invincible”
Mamelodi Sundowns, a powerhouse in African football and reigning champions of the DStv Premiership, faced an unexpected setback last week, suffering a defeat to TP Mazembe in the CAF Champions League. This loss shattered their previously unblemished record of ten consecutive wins in the league.
Coach Mokwena’s Perspective: Loss as a Learning Curve
In response to the surprising defeat, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena maintained a composed stance, emphasizing that losing is an inherent part of football. He drew parallels with iconic moments in football history, citing Spain’s loss in the 2010 World Cup and Argentina’s stumble in the recent Qatar World Cup, both instances where the teams rebounded to claim the ultimate victory.
Group Dynamics: Sundowns Maintain Top Position
Despite the setback, Sundowns still lead their Champions League group, sharing three points with all teams. The loss to TP Mazembe added a layer of competitiveness, leaving all teams level. Mokwena acknowledges the need to quickly bounce back, understanding the dynamic nature of football.
Lesson from Defeat: Humility and Continuous Improvement
Mokwena stressed the importance of humility, recognizing that no team is invincible. The defeat against Mazembe serves as a reminder that challenges exist, even for dominant teams like Sundowns. He highlighted the team’s commitment to constant improvement, treating both victories and defeats as part of the learning process.
Forward Outlook: Resilience and Focus
As Sundowns prepare for their upcoming clash against Pyramids, Mokwena expressed the team’s unwavering focus on their objectives. He emphasized the significance of understanding that success and failure are transient, with the key lying in the lessons extracted from each experience.
Final Hurdles and Redemption: The Challenge Ahead
The last time Sundowns experienced a Champions League defeat at home was in 2021, a testament to their consistent prowess. As they face Pyramids, Mokwena’s words will be put to the test, demanding not just verbal reassurance but a tangible resurgence on the field. The upcoming match becomes imperative for Sundowns to prove that their recent loss was an anomaly rather than a sign of vulnerability.
Dstv Premiership Table After Mamelodi Sundowns Played Their First Ten Games
Sundowns Coach Reflects on Loss to TP Mazembe: “We Are Not Invincible”
Rulani Mokwena: “I always say to the players that there are three things in football: you lose, you win, and you draw,” he said at the press conference.
“In competitive sports, you lose more than you win. Number one, you have to try not to lose because you are going to lose, so you have to lose the right game.
“And (but) people say, ‘What are the right games?’ Time and history always reveal reality.
“Argentina lost the first (right) game in the group stages of the World Cup and went on to win the World Cup. Spain lost the first game in the 2010 World Cup but went on to win the World Cup.
“Al Ahly, who struggled and we beat them last season, went on to win the Champions League. So, we know and accept that we have to raise the level of performance; we know that.
“We are always the group that wants to do better with every single training session; every single day we want to win.
“We want to make sure that we become a better team than we were in the previous days.” It is all a work in progress. We just have to knuckle down and focus on our objectives.
“As long as there are still games to be played, we still believe and move on from both victories and defeats in the same way.
“We treat success because when we win, we are not in heaven. We also treat defeats as an imposter because when we lose, we are not in hell.
“What is important is what lessons come with both winning and losing, trying to make sure that we understand that we are not invincible.
“That result against Mazembe was one of those that we can use as a reminder that teams on the continent can beat us.”
