Sundowns gaffer Mosimane delights in win over rivals Chiefs

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Jan 06, 2019. 12:00

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane was a relieved man following the team's win over Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.

Sundowns edged out their South African rivals Chiefs 2-1 with Anthony Laffor and Lebohang Maboe scoring in a massive Absa Premiership match at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

“It was the way it was expected. We played against a difficult opponent, they’re credible. You could see how they got to our box with small one-twos. But we managed at the end to stop them from going through,” Mosimane told SuperSport TV.

“Anthony [Laffor] scored a great goal. The goal we scored earlier it woke them up. Because after that they took the game to be honest. It’s a big game, you have to be smart. We came back in the second half, the first half they were more superior.

Mosimane, who won the 2016 CAF Coach of the Year, lauded Chiefs' German mentor Ernst Middendorp.

“You know coach Middendorp is very awkward, he plays awkward football to be honest. Very good tactician. Not easy to figure him out, but at halftime, we sorted it out. We changed a few things," he said.

“For us it was a relief [to see the] left back [Godfrey Walusimbi] coming out because we had a problem with the two wings-backs and it created a little bit of stress on our wingers to track back.

“But in midfield [Hlompho] Kekana unbelievable with ‘Sugar’ [Tiyani Mabunda] they have experience, they know how to win the championship. They’ve been here for a long time.

“Not to be bragging but when we come here [at FNB Stadium] we either draw or win. In June we won a cup here [pre-season trophy],” he concluded.

Sundowns, who are the defending Absa Premiership champions, remain undefeated this season.