Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has insisted that his side are close to winning the CAF Champions League, but they need to learn from the painful knockouts after Wydad Athletic Club eliminated them from this year’s semi-finals.
Downs were knocked out of the competition without losing any of their games and despite many seeing them as favourites to lift the trophy season.
However, defending champions Wydad manage to come twice from behind to salvage a draw and two all-important away goals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Mokwena was visibly emotional just minutes after his side’s elimination but insisted they will soon get their second star.
“The difference is the experience, you can’t buy it. We’ve got to learn from it, we’ve got to feel what it feels like to lose,” he told Julia Stuart on SuperSport TV.
“We’ll win the Champions League, for sure. We will win it.
“It will take another season maybe and another season. And maybe… But we will do it, we will get there.
“We just have to take these painful experiences as lessons.”
Mokwena also stated they will analyse the game to learn their lesson for next season from the painful knockout.
“There is a lot [of lessons we’ll take from this game],” he added.
“At the moment, I’m too emotional to even think about the lessons but we go again.
“I’m wishing Wydad all the best for the final. We call it ‘football heritage’ but we will learn from it, we will be better, we will get there.”
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Wydad will now face record champions Al Ahly in a double-headed final and attempt to defend their title from last season.
