Rulani Mokwena has insisted that Mamelodi Sundowns will not seek revenge against Sudanese club Al Hilal after the Bafana Bafana crumbled at the hands of the Sudan national team last Sunday.
Stars are aligned for the Masandawana right now. They have booked their spot quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League and domestic cup. They are a lap ahead of the DStv pack. And they are on a 26-game unbeaten run.
And yet, with no less than seven Brazilians getting a big bite out of the Bafana Bafana’s AFCON humble pie last week, Mokwena has duly registered a heavy collective feeling at Chloorkop.
Yet, for Mokwena, when the yellow/green jersey is on, that’s won’t matter.
“We are a team that is inspired by the goals, aspirations and targets that we set for ourselves as a team,” Mokwena said, “The unfortunate results of our national team have nothing to do with Mamelodi Sundowns, but being from South Africa, our egos are bruised.
“The happiness index is affected within our country, we have an indirect responsibility to carry the hopes of our country, but we are not driven by that.
“This being our last away game, we want to get to the knockout stages with the winning feeling.”
The Sundowns beat Al Hilal 2-0 in the first game and will aim to replicate, and probably exceed, the win to get back to winnings ways after a draw against Black Leopards in the last round of the DStv.
Sundowns enter the crucial stages of this year’s campaign with three trophies in sight. To succeed, they will have to navigate a busy schedule, starting with no less than six games over the next two weeks.
The push for glory begins tomorrow at the Al Hilal Stadium at 15:00 CAT.