Despite beating Cape Town City 3-2 on Wednesday evening to go top of the Absa Premiership, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane was not entirely happy with his side.
Sundowns opened the scoring against City early on and then had a number of opportunities to double their lead before City drew level just after half-time.
Downs responded and went ahead again, this time through an Anthony Laffor screamer. Despite a third from Themba Zwane, which effectively wrapped up the game before City bagged a late consolation goal to make it 3-2, Mosimane believes his side should have been more proficient in front of goal.
‘I told them at half-time 1-0 was not going to help us. We needed a two-goal cushion in this game. Because Cape Town City don’t park the bus, they play, and they will come at us and that’s exactly what they did,’ Mosimane told SuperSport TV after the match.
‘Credit to Benni, his team plays well. But what was important for us was to shut down the midfield. To shut down Teko [Modise] and don’t give Mokeke enough time on the ball, but he still managed to get the ball. But we closed Teko down and hence Benni took him out,’ he explained.
Mosimane was also keen on stressing the importance of the third goal, but added that it should’ve come sooner.
‘Very, very important goal, what a pass from Themba Zwane. I thought he was going to go for it by himself and he passed, it’s unbelievable. It was a big goal, look at what happened at the end,’ he added.
‘Let’s be honest, Themba Zwane one-on-one, even earlier Sirino. I mean really, we should have scored two or three more, let’s be honest. As much as they are a good team that plays very well, we could have taken it [scored more], we had more chances. But as I say, and I always say, Sundowns can miss.’
Despite going top of the table and having one game in hand on their title rivals, Mosimane is not looking too far ahead.
‘We don’t play for that. If you start focusing on that, we are putting pressure and stress on your team. You go to play the game the way it demands.
‘It’s a long way. I like to be second, but we are first, it’s OK. We could have been first against AmaZulu, we had a chance to be first against Wits. We had a chance to score first against Polokwane City. The third time we got the opportunity, we took it,’ Mosimane reflected.
‘It’s not about first, it’s about winning the game, it’s a long way. We still have Celtic and when we go to Cape Town, Benni won’t give us a free passage,’ he concluded.
