Head coach Rulani Mokwena has opened up on the heartbreak of seeing his side knocked out of the CAF Champions League last season without losing a single match.
The Brazilians last lifted the Champions League in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane and the 22/23 campaign was the closest they've come to the coveted title, crashing oout in the semi-final of the coemption on away goals rules.
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Sundowns had played to a goalless draw away to Wydad a week prior but a 2-2 draw at Loftus Stadium saw their continental title ambitions go up in smoke.
It was a strange scenario for every associated with the club, as Sundowns had cruised to the semi-final with losing a single match.
Speaking to the Mamelodi Sundowns Fans Vlog, Mokwena spoke candidly and admitted that the heartbreak of that even continues to haunt him.
"I don't know for the players, I don't know (if the players are over it)," Mokwena said.
"I know Neo Maema has said to me, he said to me that he thinks my team talks are completely different this season. He thinks I'm still carrying the pain of the semifinal defeat of last season's Champions League.
He says he says my team talks [have changed] and I'm like that, I have these type of conversations with my players.
"So Neo Maema mom said to me says he thinks my team talks are [different] He thinks I've got a much more deeper rooted pain and I can say that I personally don't think I'm over it.
"I don't think I'm over it because I don't think we deserved to be knocked out. I think the results are clear.
"To be on the team to not lose at that type of level of competition to play the type of football that we played to beat the type of opponents that we played, including beating the team (Sundowns defeated Al Ahly 5-2) that eventually won the competition.
"Having played them twice and then having to lose them the way we lost with the away goals rule, which already you feel it is a little bit unfair.
????Yesterday Mamelodi Sundowns ???? beat Al Ahly ???? 5-2 in the CAF Champions League Group B #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/i5UJXrBBZw
— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) March 12, 2023
"Even with the goals that we conceded, you feel a little bit like not only did you have a little bit of bad luck because of the goals you conceded but you had no luck because of the chances that you created and some of the chances that Peter and Mshishi (Themba Zwane) had especially in the first half, it could have been a different story.
"But of course in defeats you've got to take the lessons and also I'm a firm believer that you've got to take the pain yeah because I think it is the pain that drives you to the next level.
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"While maybe it's important to move on and we give ourselves 24 hours but I think I think the pain still has to stay because I think it's the pain that pushes you to the next level.
"I don't think as a team, because I don't think as the coach of the team, that I've recovered from it and I think maybe the only thing that will make amends is winning the Champions league.
"But that's also it's not so easy to do. You are fighting principalities, you're fighting football heritage and the only way to do it is like what we've done now with the last couple of competitions that involve our African competitors.
"It's to always be there in the semifinals in the finals and semifinals and the finals and and this is now what needs to start happening and then up you become you what we've been become."
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