Tlhopie Motsepe: Focus on Mamelodi Sundowns bigger picture

Motsepe, who was in attendance at Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala’s funeral yesterday, downplayed the losses to German third division side SV Sandhausen and Ukrainian giants and UEFA Champions League regulars Dynamo Kiev.

Since the departure of former head coach Rulani Mokwena, there’s been some uneasiness amongst some Sundowns fans and Motsepe looked to allay those fears.

"So I think if there's any message I want to give to the Mamelodi Sundowns supporters at this time, it's the same thing I've said every end and start of season – thank you for the support; thank you for always being behind us, we're going to need you," Motsepe stated.

"What's happening at the club is that we're actually in a process of trying to make sure that we are set in the best possible position to make this one of the best seasons we're going to have in our history." 

With Sundowns among the four teams set to represent Africa in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the US next year, Motsepe explained how they carefully selected their pre-season matches to prepare to face the world’s biggest and strongest clubs.

"There's a quote – I don't want to misquote Mohamed Ali, but it's a boxing quote – that says, 'You train hard so you can fight easy.' And if you look at the quality of the opponents we're facing this pre-season, they are very strong, challenging football clubs," he noted.

"So the results we're seeing now is us setting ourselves up against the caliber [of opponents] that we might find ourselves playing against in the Club World Cup.

"And what we're doing is stressing ourselves right now, so that as the season progresses, we're ready."

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