Johannesburg - Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena is confident that his side can turn things around when they play against Petro de Luanda in their Caf Champions League quarter final second leg clash at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Sundowns went down 2-1 in the first leg last weekend. They had a rare off day as the normally lethal Peter Shalulile was guilty of spurning two good chances which he normally would have scored.
However, despite the defeat, Sundowns still have a very good chance of advancing to the semi-finals. With away goals still counting in African football, a 1-0 win will be sufficient for them to win the tie.
Meanwhile, the stoic Mokwena is taking advice from a previous meeting that he had with Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp.
“Klopp told me, coach if you want to succeed in football, lose the right match,” said Mokwena.
“I think we lost the right match because it didn't knock us out. We still have a chance to make it," he said.
Coincidently, Mokwena’s Sundowns and Klopp’s Liverpool are both in the running to win quadruples this season. With the domestic league title virtually secure, Downs have already won the MTN 8 and remain alive in the Nedbank Cup and Champions League.
Klopp’s Liverpool have won the Carabao Cup in England while they are still contesting the Uefa Champions League, Premier League and are set to play Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Mokwena does also believe that his troops can take humility out of their defeat against Petro as it proves that they are not invincible despite winning the overwhelming majority of their games so far this season.
The loss was Sundowns’ third in all competitions this season, and first in the Champions League in the current campaign.
“The loss gives us many lessons and reminds us that we are not invincible. We accept the lesson, in a very humble way and we move on. Now what is left for us is to recover the team, bring back the bodies to good condition. We have to watch the game again and do the corrections and then we prepare for the second leg. We will be in the semi-finals,” he said.