Rulani Mokwena Suggests Timeline to Win Champions League for Mamelodi Sundowns

• Rulani Mokwena has suggested that he needs more time to win the CAF Champions League for Sundowns
• The tactician has led Masandawana to their second consecutive semi-final of the continental showpiece
• Sundowns will need to overturn a 1-0 first-leg loss when they face Esperance at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium

Mamelodi Sundowns manager, Rulani Mokwena, is under pressure to win the CAF Champions League, especially with the resources at his disposal.

The tactician has already led the club to the semi-final this season as they suffered a 1-0 first-leg loss to Esperance of Tunisia.

Ahead of the reverse fixture slated for the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Rulani suggested that it could take him four years to win the continental title for the club.

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Moments after leading Masandawana to a 2-1 win over Sekhukhune United, he stated that the CAF Champions League is a totally different ball game.

According to him, winning the continental gong was not easy for Pitso Mosimane, who won it with Sundowns after four years at the helm of affairs.

The manager emphasised that fans do not understand the dynamics of Champions League football, especially as he expects criticism if they do not win it this year.

He said, as per The South African:

“I have the feeling that we don’t understand the Champions League.

"I look at the Champions League with a different perspective because I have been here before.

“I was an assistant coach to the previous coach [Pitso Mosimane] for a very long time, and the last coach was here for eight years.

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"He had eight years [four from 2012 to 2016] to try and win the Champions League, and we only won the competition once [2016].

“We only played the semi-final two times because the other time, we got into the final.

"But after that, in eight years, we only played the semi-final once and lost."

Rulani provides Mokoena update

Sports Brief earlier reported that Rulani Mokwena provided an update on Teboho Mokoena's injury ahead of the club's CAF Champions League semi-final clash with ES Tunis.

The Bafana Bafana midfielder was substituted owing to injury after scoring a screamer from outside the 18-yard against Moroka Swallows.

Ahead of the Brazilians' tie against Esperance, Mokwena confirmed that Mokoena will be available for the game on Friday