Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is delighted that his side secured a point in the Caf Champions League for the seventh consecutive season.
The Brazilians booked their place in the continental competition after cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Polokwane City at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday evening through goals from Anele Ngcongca, Themba Zwane and Keletso Makgalwa.
The win has Sundowns remaining second in the league standings level on 56 points with log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, who have a greater goal difference of three.
Mosimane admits that he is happy with the result but rues his side’s missed chances against Rise and Shine.
‘I’m happy that they played the way we always play and familiar territory, familiar pitch so everybody knows his area where he always goes to. The pitch helps a little bit, in Dobsonville the ball bounces every second, every minute,’ Mosimane told SuperSport TV after the game.
‘Ja, we have to accept Dobsonville as our [temporary] stadium and we’re going there by the way [in the last game of the season], we should love it but the pitch helps, hey, we can play football.
‘We could have got two more goals, Gaston [Siino] there in the first half. I’m so happy Anele [Ngcongca] scored, ah thank God, all the chances have been coming to him, finally, he scored tonight.
‘Themba Zwane, that’s his area, a winger that doesn’t cross the ball, that cuts inside and scores those important goals for us in the same territory, the same places he scores the goals,’ he added.
‘But the third goal … ah, that boy [Keletso Makgalwa] is brilliant. You think it’s an easy goal, no it’s not an easy goal, if its anybody else they hit it to row and wants to kill the goalkeeper. He’s so intelligent, he comes on … I think he has scored three or four goals now [off the bench], he’s such an important sub for us. We’re happy to win.
‘We played, when Rivaldo [Coetzee] is on the pitch, I don’t care who says what, I’m stable, emotionally I’m calm because he helps me on set pieces and pushes the ball left, right. He’s more of a defender and then he allows ‘Keke’ [Hlompho Kekana] to play a little bit forward and then ‘Mshishi [Zwane] can play, Sirino can play, a young Promise [Mkhuma] can play, what a good player.
‘We need to give him time but if I have to put him on the starting lineup it means there’s something. What a player from MDC he will come up like Percy [Tau] with time.’
