“I am very happy with the spirit in the group, the quality of the training sessions and the work that we are putting in.” – Coach Rulani Mokwena.
Mamelodi Sundowns produced a resilient performance to get through to the Nedbank Cup quarter finals with a hard fought 3-1 win over Marumo Gallants in the Round of 16 tie on Thursday night.
Masandawana showed their quality from the beginning of the clash until the final whistle with Namibian international Peter Shalulile getting a hat trick in the encounter, while Boitumelo Pheko pulled one back for Gallants. The South African Champions continue to remain in good standing for the PSL, Caf Champions League and the Nedbank Cup title and Head Coach Rulani Mokwena spoke about how crucial it is for his team to have the players that they have.
“That’s why we have the squad that we have [and] that’s why we have the quality that we have. [It is so that we are able] to rotate and give everybody a chance and everyone has done very, very well so far. I am very happy with the spirit in the group, the quality of the training sessions and the work that we are putting in behind the scenes, it all goes well for us.”
“It’s good that we are in [these] competitions in the league and we work very, very hard to try to win every game and to win every competition that we are competing in. I’m satisfied with the commitment of the players, the work ethic from everybody, the quality and the intensity of our work, so I am very happy.”
The 29-year old goal scoring machine came into the Ke Yona round of 16 ranked amongst the all-time leading goalscorers’ list together with his former Sundowns teammate Hlompho Kekana with 11 goals. After scoring in his last two Nedbank Cup outings, including a brace in the last-32 victory over Natal Rich Boys, Shalulile took his tally up to an incredible 14 goals in the competition.
“He’s been back for a while now, Peter has been scoring. He scored in Cairo and I am proud of the effort [from] the players. Everyone is committed and giving their best that they can to help the football club.” Commented Coach Rulani on Shalulile’s performances.
The Brazilians Coach also went on to praise the supporters in the Free State province after showing up in maximum numbers to watch the end-to-end action packed encounter, “It’s nice to see the Siwelele fans [and] it’s nice to see that they still have their jerseys. It looks very good from the outside [and] it’s a province that deserves to have a football club, it’s a province that loves football.”
“You can see how passionate, vibrant and positive they are about supporting football. It’s a positive, so let’s also focus on the positive, it was good to see that we gave a derby to the youngster Buthelezi. We are happy with the work that is being done and football has a bright future in this province.”
Mamelodi Sundowns will now turn their focus to the DStv Premiership when they face Stellenbosch FC on Sunday, March 5 at the Danie Craven Stadium.
