Rulani Mokwena reveals what gives him hope ahead of Wydad’s AFL 2nd leg tie
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed what gives him hope going into the second leg of the African Football League final after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Wydad Athletic in the first leg last night.
The defeat at Stade Mohammed V was Mokwena’s first loss in 17 CAF inter-club competition matches as Sundowns’ sole head coach.
Wydad have an advantage going into the second leg, whereas Bafana Ba Style know very well that they have a mountain to climb to bounce from the 2-1 goal deficit.
The return leg will be played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday, 12 November 2023.
RULANI MOKWENA NOT GIVING UP AS YET
Mokwena insists that the away goal will come in handy heading to the second leg in Tshwane and remains positive that his boys will get the job done.
“At the beginning, I would like to congratulate Wydad on their victory today at their stadium in the first leg match,” said Mokwena in a post-match interview.
“I also want to congratulate my team’s players for the good performance they delivered tonight.
“I’m pleased that we scored a goal here in Morocco. We will work on delivering a good performance and winning the title in the return leg.”
WYDAD ATHLETIC COACH ANTICIPATING A TOUGH ENCOUNTER
Meanwhile, Wydad head coach Adil Ramzi is well aware of the mammoth task ahead. Ramzi says it won’t be a walk in the park when they face Sundowns in the second leg.
“For me, the result is positive. We tried to avoid conceding a goal and had the opportunity to score more. But in the end, we gave it our all,” stated Ramzi.
“Today’s match is just the first half and the second half won’t be easy in South Africa.
“It will be a toughest game. But I have confidence in the players. We will have enough time to rest and prepare for the next match.”
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