‘I feel sorry for them’: Rulani Mokwena on his Sundowns stars
"He was telling me how difficult it is for him."
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says he feels sorry for his players despite their incredible performances in all competitions.
The Tshwane giants are preparing to face Egyptian giants Al Ahly in a CAF Champions League group phase match.
The match will be played at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday at 3pm.
In this one, the defending DStv Premiership champions are hoping for a win having managed to force a 2-2 draw in the first leg.
And as they prepare to face the Egyptian side, Rulani Mokwena has opened up on why he sometimes feels sorry for his talented group of players.
Mamelodi Sundowns have had a bloated fixture that has seen them play 5 games in the last 25 days.
Their last two assignments, which were away to Marumo Gallants and Stellenbosch were played in a space of three days.
WHAT MICHEAL LOFTMAN TOLD MOKWENA
Although they have managed to remain unbeaten in as many matches, Mokwena feels the fixture schedule is too exhausting for his charges.
“It’s not easy. I was speaking to Michael Loftman earlier and he was telling me how difficult it is for him.
“Imagine a coach who just came in and the next day he was travelling with us to Cameroon, if I’m not mistaken and then we came back to South Africa.
“We went to Egypt and then we went to Cape Town. From the extreme north to the extreme south. No training days, sometimes you can see it with the players on the pitch.
“That is what helps us see the importance of camps and pre-season camps because that is where we get the real work done,” Mokwena said.
WHY MOKWENA FEELS SORRY FOR HIS MEN
How they have managed to remain afloat reflects the indepth squad that the former Orlando Pirates mentor has at his disposal.
Mokwena added: “The principles we have in the team are principles I imbedded during the pre-season training.
“You see it with the players sometimes. The most important thing I learnt over time is that I have to manage them, every single day.
“It becomes a rhetorical question, for me to ask how they are feeling everyday. I want an answer of how they are feeling because they have enormous responsibilities.
“The other day I said to them, I feel sorry for them sometimes because they carry such an incredible responsibility.
“Not alot of people understand how tough this pressure is to deliver every two or three days.
“There is no rest or time with their families, there is little training time. They have a difficult task. I really don’t envy them,” Mokwena added.
The Tshwane giants will take on Al Ahly in a Group B clash this afternoon [3:00 pm], Saturday, 11 March at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
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