After making his FIFA Club World Cup debut against Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunis winger Elias Mokwana stated that the team has absorbed crucial lessons and harbors no apprehension about their next formidable opponent, Chelsea.
The Bafana Bafana star was brought on by Esperance head coach Maher Kanzari in the second half as they tried to turn the tide, but ultimately fell 2-0 to the Brazilian heavyweights.
Even with the defeat, Mokwana remains optimistic about Esperance's chances in the tournament. Looking ahead to their remaining Group D clashes against Chelsea and Los Angeles FC, he conveyed a clear message: “We still have a lot to play for.”
His perspective highlights a forward-looking approach, where the initial loss serves as a teaching moment, fueling their determination to perform strongly in the challenging matches that lie ahead against top-tier international clubs.
MOKWANA CONFIDENT AHEAD OF MEETING CHELSEA
“We learnt a lot from this game and will take the confidence into the next game [against Chelsea], the tournament is only starting now, we need to just work harder in our next two games and hopefully we will qualify [for the round of 16],” he said as quoted by iDiski Times.
“I think we didn’t take our chances in the second half, we started a bit slow, we could have started better and take our chances – we have nothing to fear [against Chelsea]…
“I was so happy to see the fans, they support us everywhere we go and hopefully they come also to our next games to help us to qualify. It’s only the beginning of the tournament; we saw our mistakes in this game [against Flamengo].”
