Mamelodi Sundowns kicked off their restarted season with a 2-0 win over Orlando Pirates on Friday, 19 July. Goals from Mothobi Mvala and Cassius Mailula sealed the victory for the Brazilians.
Mamelodi Sundowns remain unbeaten under Rulani Mokwena as they brush aside Swallows in the DStvPrem ✅ pic.twitter.com/5KfCNkREgS
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) January 3, 2023
Head coach Rulani Mokwena explained the tactical setup that the Sundowns employed to contain Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng. Khuliso Mudau and Thapelo Morena were deployed as the two right-footed full-backs, with Mudau inverting into the centre and joining the attack more often than Morena, who stayed deep and wide to deal with the threat posed by Saleng. Mokwena said that if Aubrey Modiba had been available, Sundowns would have done something different.
He added that Mudau has more instincts to arrive in the right central areas and use the ball better, and that it would be easier to defend against Saleng with a right-footed wing-back. The former Pirates coach revealed that the team got information on how the Buccaneers play and used that to their advantage.
He said that the quality of the players was key to the success of the tactical setup, and that both Mudau and Morena were very good.
