Rulani Mokwena believes Egyptian side Pyramids fully deserved to win the CAF Champions League at the expense of his ex-team Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns reached their first final since 2016, when they won their only title, but suffered a 3-2 loss on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Pretoria before losing 2-1 in Cairo in the return match last Sunday.
Speaking to Soccer Africa on SuperSport TV on Thursday night, Mokwena, who had been trying without success to reach the Champions League final, feels Pyramids displayed so early in the competition that they were the team to beat and he was not surprised that they went all the way.
“After the second leg, I spoke to the president of Wydad and he told me; ‘coach, how did you predict that Pyramids will win the Champions League’”?
When did Rulani know Pyramids would win it?
“I called it immediately after the group stages because I remember last season while still at Sundowns, we played Pyramids twice, matchday three in the group stages and we drew 0-0 at home, and heading to Cairo, I kept the players for a five-hour video session at Sundowns and I was not even aware it was that long but there was just so much to cover about this team.
“This season when I saw the team developing, it is still the same players. Ramadan Sobhi, Fiston Mayele, [Karim] Hafez, [Mostafa] Fathi, [Blati] Toure in the midfield, [Mohanad] Lasheen, it is almost the same team and they have won nine out of 12 matches and scored 24 goals in 12 matches this season.
“You look at Sundowns, who scored only nine and won only three out of 12, and that already tells you that I think they [Pyramids] were really the best team in the Champions League,” said Mokwena.
The tactician, who had reached the quarter-final and then back-to-back semi-finals before he was relieved of his duties at Sundowns, over failure to win the competition feels the Brazilians still had a good season nonetheless but should get away from the obsession of winning the Champions League.
Mokwena cautions against Champions League obsession
“To get to the final of the Champions League is not easy and to get to this stage and the performances they gave, they should be really proud of themselves because what they should be seeing now is we are even closer than we have ever been because we have never been to a final since 2016,” he added.
“Even while I was there, I kept saying it should never be an obsession because when it is an obsession, then the feeling after this is dejection and demotivation but if it is a dream that is pure, then you go back again and say, if we could go back to the final last season, then surely with a little bit of improvement and some things here and there then we can win it and it’s closer than ever before.”
One issue that cropped up during and after the final loss was the absence of veteran playmaker Themba Zwane from both legs with coach Miguel Cardoso coming under pressure over the decision to exclude him.
Ex-Sundowns coach comments on Zwane’s omission
Mokwena has weighed into the issue, choosing his words carefully but looking to agree with those who feel “Mshishi” should have been given minutes in the final.
“Whether he should be playing or not is something that is up to the coach but I will always take my heart off and give Mshishi that respect because he speaks to the South African child,” said Mokwena.
“The dynamics are completely different, the team, coach always try. Of course, in the final you put your best team and I am sure there are mitigating factors that we might not be privy to but as a Sundowns coach, nine times out of 10, I played Mshishi.”
