Mokwena on how Sundowns bottled Pirates’ attack

While he has debunked the talk Mamelodi Sundowns had a plan for Patrick Maswanganyi, coach Rulani Mokwena reveals how they bottled Orlando Pirates’ attack.

Mokwena guided Sundowns to their seventh DStv Premiership win on the trot and he said he knew the threats posed by Zakhele Lepasa, Maswanganyi, and Monnapule Saleng.

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The reigning league title holders emerged as 1-0 victors at Orlando Stadium courtesy of Lucas Ribeiro’s strike on Wednesday night.

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The likes of Mothobi Mvala, Rivaldo Coetzee, Khuliso Mudau, and co. were in fine form to nullify the hosts’ attack.

MOKWENA ON HOW SUNDOWNS BOTTLED PIRATES’ ATTACK

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He said coaching Black Poison in Soweto helped him to profile players such as Lepasa and Maswanganyi who are now contracted to Pirates.

“The greatest benefit of coaching Black Poison is that I get to be right at the heart of where football is, so I’ve seen Maswanganyi play and I’ve seen him play freely,” Mokwena he said per iDiski Times.

“I know what he can do, I’ve seen Zakhele Lepasa in a Cup final, Black Poison versus Snekeneke Chillaz, yes, and scoring against Black Poison. So many people say ‘yes this one is obsessed with football he has no social life’.

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“But the truth is it helps me to have information of who the players are coming up, what they are strong at and that background information helps a bit. But no we don’t plan around any single individual but we do a lot of work behind the scenes.”

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In the highly contested encounter, Sundowns dominated the first half but were under pressure in the second stanza as coach Jose Riveiro’s men probed for an equaliser.

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Mokwena also looks at the match where goalkeeper Ronwen Williams didn’t have to produce fine saves despite coming underfire in the dying stages of the tie.

“Of course, we will be under pressure because we were playing against a good side that does not want to lose to us,” Mokwena added.

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“Even though we were under pressure, for the majority of the game we were in control. We did not really suffer too many situations where Ronwen Williams had to make too many saves which is what makes me very happy.”

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