Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rhulani Mokwena FILE - Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rhulani Mokwena. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)
Rhulani Mokwena made a surprise admission after watching his Mamelodi Sundowns side beat Moroka Swallows 1-0 on Saturday – that he had made a tactical mistake after the Dube Birds were reduced to 10 men – following Andile Jali’s sending off six minutes after kickoff.
The red card, given to the Swallows skipper after he hacked Teboho Mokoena, would have had many anticipating Sundowns to smash the Birds.
But Swallows held on for dear life for the entire first half without conceding at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Speaking afterwards, Mokwena took the blame for his team’s failure to make their numerical advantage count immediately, although Masandawana advanced to the MTN8 semi-finals.
“I made a big mistake after the red card, and I apologised to my players at half-time,” Mokwena said in the postmatch television interview.
“After the red card, I got carried away and put two or three players in the wrong place. But my players accepted it, and I thank them.”
He did not say what the mistake was, and in the end, it did not really matter as Sundowns regrouped – especially after the break – and scored the winner early in the second half via their talismanic captain Themba Zwane.
Swallows counterpart Steve Komphela lamented the sending off, but praised his team for having managed to keep their shape in the first half despite the numerical disadvantage.
“This match was a definition of the character which we have, and we have to build on it,” he said.
They will no doubt look to build on the strength of their goalkeeping as Daniel Akpeyi kept them in the match and ensured the scoreline was as tight as it was, the Nigerian even winning the Man-of-the-match award.
But the star was Zwane, who played the 90 minutes even though he is now considered a veteran who should be used sparingly given the many competitions Sundowns will be involved in this year.
Zwane’s goal was a thing of beauty, one that again confirmed that in Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro, the Dstv Premiership kings have signed a magician who is sure to make them shine brighter than in previous seasons.
Sundowns did not take long to break the Swallows resistance. Four minutes after the restart they stole possession in their half and on a quick attack Ribeiro rode a tackle that sent him looking like he would fall.
IOL Sport
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