Rulani Mokwena: Mamelodi Sundowns won’t sacrifice ‘game model’ for Caf title

It’s become evident their rivals on the continent – among them Wydad Casablanca, Al Ahly, Esperance de Tunis and Raja Casablanca – forgo the entertainment element in favour of getting the job done. 

Mokwena believes Downs, who host CR Belouizdad in the quarterfinals on Saturday with a 4-1 lead from the first leg, shouldn’t compromise. 

"They're saying to (Roberto) De Zerbi at Brighton, the English Premier League, you can't play this way. They said when (Guardiola) Pep arrived in the EPL, they said you can't win in the English Premier League this way. His biggest challenge will be going to Stoke on a Saturday and the first time he went to Stoke, you know the story," he said.

For Mokwena, the idea of a ‘game model’ is crucial to the success of the club. 

"Football is about not playing what you feel, what you want, it's a way of playing and I've spoken about the game model for so many years. A game model of the team encompasses many things. The players you have, the history that the club has, shoes shine and piano. The team is built over many transfer periods," he added.

The coach isn’t disputing at times it’s simply about grinding out results. 

"As the coach, the number one objective is to win and I have to try to get the best out of the players that I have to ensure that we win. It doesn't matter, we can play like Burnley, maybe even Real Madrid or PSG with counterattacks or maybe Liverpool, how they won the Champions League. Transitions and transitions and maybe that's what help us to win. If that's what is going to help us win, we will play that way," he concluded.