MTN 8 Final: Mokwena says three teams need to perform to make the game

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena says that it is important for the officials to have a good game as they meet Cape Town City in the MTN 8 final.

Mokwena said that while the standard of officiating in South Africa could be improved, his team haven’t caught the worst of it this term.

Mokwena lauds officials ahead of MTN 8 final

The coach believes that all officials are working for the good of the game and said that everyone needs to understand that mistakes can happen.

“It’s part of football, I think at the end, the referees are also human beings. Once there’s human elements, you must put space for errors and that is what you can do,” Mokwena explained. 

“I always speak about which space I come from and the space I come from is about focusing on things you can control, and the preparations of the team, to make sure we prepare the team to avoid fear and anxiety.” 

Mokwena stressed the need for the officials to be on their best form for a cup final.

“But we can’t control external factors and unfortunately in football, the referees are part of that. (We need to) support and encourage them to help them to give best perfomances because in football matches, you need three teams, your team, the opponents and refeering team to be on point.   

“Fortunately, for us as Sundowns this season, we haven’t had bad experiences. The referees are trying to assist our country to uplift our standard of football.” 

Mamelodi Sundowns top the league as they continue their never-ending quest for dominance, but the MTN 8 is something that has eluded this team for a while and they will want to end that drought.

The two sides last met back in June, with Sundowns claiming a 3-0 win on their way towards sealing the 2020/21 title.