Mamelodi Sundowns’ Rulani Mokwena has reiterated his belief that the DStv Premiership stands as the most challenging competition in South Africa.
Despite facing two draws in their last five outings, The Brazilians maintain their stronghold at the top of the league standings with a significant points advantage over second-placed Stellenbosch FC, coupled with the luxury of three games in hand.
Should Mokwena’s squad uphold this lead, they will clinch their seventh consecutive league championship.
In addition to their league dominance, Sundowns find themself in the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup and the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, presenting an opportunity for a historic treble.
However, cautioning against complacency, Mokwena emphasized the enduring importance of the league title, drawing parallels to the insights shared by football legend Ryan Giggs.
“I was listening to Ryan Giggs’ podcast, he did an interview once and he said sometimes – and he thinks that’s probably what led to the demise of Manchester United – is that they hero-worshipped winning the Carabao Cup and all these other competitions and forgot that big teams in every nation have to win the league title, the domestic league title,” remarked Mokwena.
Asserting the significance of league triumphs across top footballing nations, Mokwena emphasized, “That’s the number one prize for all the teams La Liga, in the Bundesliga. It’s a catastrophe if Bayern don’t win [the league title]. They can win the Champions League, but if they don’t win the Bundesliga, it’s a big catastrophe.”
Reflecting on Sundowns’ achievements, Mokwena underscored the need for continued support from fans, particularly during home matches.
“The only thing I would love [is] to really improve these home games. We need a lot more, we need a lot more noise. We need a lot more of the Yellow Nation and I honestly think the players deserve that,” he expressed.
Sundowns are set to resume their DStv Premiership campaign on Tuesday with an away fixture against Cape Town City FC at Athlone Stadium at 19h30.