When you look at the DStv Premiership and see that Mamelodi Sundowns sit comfortably at the top with a 22-point gap over Richards Bay, it is fair to suggest that the league is a stroll for the defending champion.
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But Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena said it would be unfair for the public to assume that Downs had it easy. Bafana Ba Style beat Sekhukhune 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games.
“The PSL is very competitive and sometimes you win games and people think it’s a God-given right to win games. You just have to look at why other people don’t do what we do because it’s very difficult, otherwise everyone would do it.
“I praise the players and I always praise, but not because I have nothing, but because it is genuine and worthy of praise. Two weeks ago, I got a report from a European analyst and he looked at the team, and the report showed that number is compared to the best teams in the world.
“This group of players works hard for every action, from video analysis and correction, to training and every training session is important. For you, it is not easy because it is demanding. Because of this, people should not, under any circumstances, take it too easy ,” said Mokwena.
Downs’ next opponents are rivals Orlando Pirates, who were the last team Bafana Ba Style failed to score when they suffered a 3-0 drubbing in last year’s MTN8 semi-final.
But Mokwena lauds that performance to them, saying strong competition from the likes of cross-town rivals, SuperSport United, who are one of the two teams to beat Sundowns in the league this season – the other TS Galaxy – can only make them better.
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“If you look at a lot of teams like Real Madrid, in order to go to a different level, they need Barcelona to push them. Bayern Munich need Borussia Dortmund to push them. Manchester City needs Liverpool to be better. Without a rival who hates you so much, so it is difficult to get on the upward trajectory,” concluded Mokwena.