Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has reacted to Masandawana’s 1-0 victory over Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the first leg of the African Football League [AFL] semi-finals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Thapelo Maseko‘s solo strike in the 52nd minute of the showdown was enough to earn Sundowns a victory at home.
Mokwena’s men will go to Cairo knowing that they have a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, while Marcel Koller and his troops will be hoping to bounce back stronger from the 1-0 goal deficit.
RULANI MOKWENA ON MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VICTORY OVER AL AHLY
However, Mokwena is not over himself as he reckons that it’s only half-time because they still have a mammoth task ahead away from home.
“It’s half-time, the massage remains the same,” said Mokwena in a post-match interview.
“We would have said it’s half-time at 0-0 and we would have said it’s half-time regardless of what the scoreline is.”
The 36-year-old mentor also praised the club’s supporters for coming out in numbers to cheer them up at Loftus Versfeld.
Last week, Teboho Mokoena slammed Bafana Ba Style fans for letting the side down when they needed them the most on big occasions [big games].
“We are very proud of the players and the yellow nation for their support having come out in numbers to push the team,” he added.
“They [fans] really pushed us in the second half. We are very grateful to the Masandawana family today for their support, and now we go again.”
The second leg will be played on Wednesday, 1 November 2023 in Cairo, Egypt.
The kick-off kick-off will be at 20:00 [SA time] at Cairo International Stadium.
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