On Monday evening, Mamelodi Sundowns emerged victorious in the Tshwane derby, with Neo Maema’s lone goal proving to be the difference between the two sides.
The win saw the Brazilians open up a fourteen-point gap at the top of the table. Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena was pleased with the fight shown by his players, and acknowledged the quality of their opponents, SuperSport United, who are managed by the experienced Gavin Hunt.
The gap between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs is 1️⃣ point less than what Chiefs has accumulated all season.Sundowns DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/vPCgcU1h8a
— Mamelodi Sundowns Sharpeville Branch® (@MS_Sharpeville) January 16, 2023
Speaking to SuperSport TV after the match, Mokwena said: “Congratulations to the entire Mamelodi Sundowns family, congratulations to the players, they fought very hard, top of the table clash, number one versus number two (three).
So you can expect what we saw today, chances on both sides, quality on the pitch on both sides and Gavin Hunt has not won four league titles by chance hey.” Mokwena went on to explain that the tactical setup of SuperSport United caught them off guard, with Thapelo Maseko playing with his left foot on the right and Gamphani Lungu playing on the opposite side.
He also highlighted the difficulty they had with Aubrey Modiba’s position, as he was meant to be a winger delivering crosses into the box, not playing inside.
The Sundowns head coach was pleased with the fight shown by his players and praised them for their efforts. He said: “We’re happy with the fight, we fight. One thing you can never ever…we play but we also fight. We pack a punch when the opposition requires us to pack a punch. And congratulations to the players and congratulations to Masandawana supporters.”
