Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena reflected on what he described as a bittersweet to lift the DStv Premiership title after suffering a loss, saying he knew it was going to be “incredible” tussled to go the entire season being invincible.  

Sundowns had carried the hopes of going unbeaten throughout the entire league campaign, but this dream was shattered by Cape Town City at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.

An error by Mothobi Mvala in the 61st minute allowed Cape Town City’s Jaeden Rhodes to steal the ball and slot it past Ronwen Williams for the only goal of the match.

This marked the first league defeat for Mokwena since taking charge of Sundowns in October 2022. The club’s last loss in the league came against SuperSport United in September of that year. Since then, they had enjoyed an incredible 54-match unbeaten run.

“It has never been done in South Africa before (to go the whole season unbeaten) and I kept saying that,” Mokwena acknowledged at a post-match press conference

“It was a very, very difficult thing to do. Of course, when you get to the last match you start smelling it, you start thinking about it, you start pre-empting that there is that possibility. But okay, you got to accept and some of the things are through God’s divine plans, you got to accept.”

Mokwena emphasized the importance of mental resilience to his players, even amidst their post-match disappointment. “Winning and losing are both temporary states,” he declared. “We must treat them with the same composure.”

“I’m incredibly proud that we’ve secured this most iconic achievement (winning the league trophy for the seventh consecutive season),” Mokwena continued. “This is a feat that will be celebrated for generations to come. When Sundowns players raise their hands with the ‘seven’ symbol alongside their supporters,they will be an iconic meaning to it.”

“We are the first group to win it seven league titles in a row, it would never be done never ever again,” he added. “This group of players needs to be applauded and praised, adulated, celebrated for rewriting history.”

The Brazilians will now shift their focus to the Nedbank Cup final, where they face Orlando Pirates at Mbombela Stadium next Saturday. With a potential treble on the horizon, Sundowns will look to end the season on a high note.

Pictures courtesy of Mamelodi Sundowns