Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has laughed off questioning over alleged time wasting in their 2-2 draw with Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League.
Sundowns maintained their unbeaten record in the competition and marked the first time Mokwena was prevented from winning since taking over as sole head coach of the club.
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However, members of the Egyptian media quizzed him about the final stages of the game after Thapelo Morena’s equaliser – saying it was the first time they had seen a South African team engage in the dark arts made famous by North Africans in the competition.
“I don’t know, not sure, I don’t think [we time wasted], that’s your opinion and I respect your opinion but no comment, I don’t want to talk about those things – I talk football,” Mokwena said in the post-match press conference
Having engaged in his usual post-match congratulatory messages to the squad, technical team, backroom staff and management, Mokwena was then probed over why he was in a buoyant mood about the draw over the Red Devils and whether he feels they can now go on to win the Champions League this season.
“No I didn’t say beating Al Ahly is going to win us the Champions League, no chance, I never said that, it’s group stages, I’ve maintained from day one that it’s four very good teams and one step at a time,” Mokwena responded as they pointed out the double over the Egyptian giants last season before being dumped out by Petro de Luanda.
“Group stages first and my answer… answers both questions – one step at a time. Now [it] is to focus on hosting Al Ahly in Pretoria, making sure that we fight again for the points because we have to fight for the points.
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“No points will be given to us and then we see where we go from there but one step at a time, one match at a time.”
Sundowns will now face Marumo Gallants in the Nedbank Cup last-16, Stellenbosch in the league before welcoming Ahly to Loftus Versveld on Saturday, 11 March.
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