‘One of our best games this season’: Mokwena on Sundowns’ draw against Arrows

Ten-man Mamelodi Sundowns were unlucky not to bag full spoils in their 0-0 DStv Premiership draw against Lamontville Golden Arrows at Mpumalanga Stadium on Wednesday night despite playing “one of our best games this season”.

This was the view of Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena whose side were playing the first match since clinching the seventh successive league title after thumping Kaizer Chiefs 5-1 last week, and a received a warm guard of honour from Arrows.

Sundowns dominated the game despite losing defender Mosa Lebusa through a red card in the second minute of the second half for hacking down Lungelo Nguse.

If not for the brilliant goalkeeping of Arrows keeper and man-of-the-match Ismail Watenga Sundowns could have extended their unbeaten run in all 25 league matches this season with a convincing victory.

“It is one of our best performances,” said Mokwena of Wednesday's match where his team created 19 scoring chances, had seven shots on target and finished with 80% possession despite being a man down.

“We created a lot of chances in and around the box where we were very aggressive. I asked how at half time the score was 0-0. I counted five chances from the beginning and the one where [Matias] Esquivel was inside the box and he should have scored.

“And we were still unlucky with the substitution of Lucas Riberio [replaced injured by Peter Shalulile just before the half-hour], which affected us a bit. But Peter came in and we were able to retain the intensity.

“We fixed a few things at half time and spoke about a few, and we still played better in the second half with 10 men.

“We were very aggressive, created chances and Marcelo's [Allende] one should have been a goal. I'm disappointed with a kick off in the second half because I think the organisation [at the back] was not right.

“The idea [of trying to kick the ball up front] was good because it's a kick off that I came up with. When it doesn't work it's my fault and when it works you're a genius because it came off.”

Mokwena said he was not sure of the extent of Riberio's injury. The Brazilian striker has 12 league goals, which puts him three shy of leading scorer Tshegofatso Mabasa of Orlando Pirates.

“Lucas Riberio's injury is just as a consequence of the number of games we have had to play [Sundowns have played 52 matches in the six competitions they have entered this season]. But I don't it's that serious,” Mokwena said.

The Sundowns coach insisted there was nothing special about facing an Arrows side coached by Steve Komphela, who he worked with at Sundowns in the past two seasons. Komphela left Downs to join Moroka Swallows at the start of the campaign, then moved to Arrows. 

Mokwena provided an update on the hamstring injury of Teboho Mokoena, the Sundowns midfielder who got injured in their 2-2 draw against Swallows on April 15, where Mokoena limped off soon after scoring from a stunning strike from outside the box. 

"'Tebza' is coming on very nicely. It's just the matter of risking [a return before the end of the campaign],” Mokwena said.

“Maybe he will not qualify for the final [of the Nedbank Cup against Pirates on June 1] but maybe he will be in some of the games now. You've got to weight things up.”