Mokwena gives players a high-five despite a string of underwhelming displays | The Citizen

Being an average side, which is what Mamelodi Sundowns have been of late, is something that head coach Rulani Mokwena is not accustomed to. Over the last six games, one would assume that Mokwena had to change his half time team talks and post match addresses as he found himself in an unfamiliar position.

Sundowns were booted out of the Nedbank Cup by Stellenbosch FC on Saturday, and this is on the back of several underwhelming performances in the league by the DStv Premiership champions, though they have already wrapped up a sixth straight title.

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“I tell them how much I love them and that I am very proud with what they have done this season,” said Mokwena when asked about what his message is to his players.

“We are not used to it and I don’t have the right words to explain how it feels. It is a feeling we don’t want to get used to and it does not sit well with us, but it is part of the game.

“Not a lot of credit is given to this team for the amount of work that is done. They are the best team in the league by far and when you hear some coaches saying their teams are the second best in the country, it is because Sundowns is the benchmark and is by far the best team in the country.

“But that is not good enough because in football you are only as good as your last performance. We have to improve every single game.”

Downs now only have the Caf Champions League to fight for, after they failed to defend the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.

“The hard one is the league, that’s a competition where you have to be consistent to win it. It is not always the best team that wins the cup. Sometimes you need some luck to get the results,” said the Sundowns mentor.

He added: “We have the responsibility and the pressure of playing with that tag of being the best in the country and it is not easy. It is the hardest thing but it is the best thing to give you a competitive edge and give you fuel to keep going.”