Pitso wants everything

Johannesburg - Ambitious Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says he is not a coward and will not prioritise one competition over others.

With Sundowns competing on three fronts – the Nedbank Cup, the Absa Premiership and the CAF Champions League – Mosimane says he wants to “vat alles”.

He says targeting only one of three would be an easy way out for him.

“I know sometimes it backfires when you say you want all trophies and end up getting nothing. Or you say you will go for one just to manage the supporters and the expectations,” he said.

“For my own motivation and confidence, I’d say I am going for everything. We have done it before and there is nothing stoping us from doing it once more. That’s the reference for me.”

Two seasons ago, Sundowns won the Telkom Knockout, the league title and the CAF Championship, and Mosimane believes they have what it takes to repeat the same feat. However, he is also aware of the potential pitfalls along the way.

Sundowns have seven matches scheduled from today until the end of month.

They have bemoaned the scheduling of today’s Nedbank Cup quarter-finals against Cape Town City.

Mosimane said it would have been better to play the game yesterday or on Friday evening.

“This has nothing to do with being set up for failure. It is the way it is and we have to play these games; we can’t avoid it. The only thing we are unhappy about is playing on Wednesday after our trip to Cape Town. Why couldn’t we play on Saturday [yesterday] or Friday? I mean, it is only one day.”

Mosimane wants to win four games on the trot and see what happens. He believes 12 consecutive points will take his team closer to the title.

“Can we do it?” asked Mosimane. “I believe we are capable of doing that. Can Pirates do it? Yes, they are also in there with a chance.”

Sundowns are left with seven games, one more than Pirates, and Mosimane says they can still afford to lose one game.

“But talk is cheap. We have to go out there and play. We really have to come to the party. Let’s win four games in a row and see what happens. We want
to be in control of our destiny.”

He has pleaded with Sundowns supporters to be patient with striker Jeremy Brockie, who is yet to find his footing at the club since joining the team during the transfer period in January.

Mosimane believes it is simply a matter of time before the All Whites striker finds the back of the net, and he has cautioned that it is not easy to adjust to a new club and a different coaching philosophy.

“He is not a saviour. We were winning before he joined us. We won the Champions League and the league without him. In fact, he also found us on top of the log,” said the coach.

“All I am saying is that he is an important member of the team, but not the star of the show,” said Mosimane.

He said they brought the New Zealander in to be part of the team.

“I feel that, sometimes, we have a lot of football playing rather than finishing, hence we brought him. But remember, Sundowns is a very difficult team to play for and it takes time to adjust.

“George [Lebese] and Aubrey [Ngoma] are still adjusting. It took a long time for Tiyani [Mabunda], Bangaly [Soumahoro] and Percy [Tau] to get going as well.”

He said that playing for Sundowns came with its own set of pressures.

“If you don’t play well for 30 minutes, you know someone else must get a chance. It is not like other teams, who have the same striker who scores three goals in a year for four years in a row.”