Mosimane looks to future after Bucs win

WHEN referee Buyile Gqubule blew the final whistle at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, Mamelodi Sundowns players celebrated like they had won the league.

In contrast, Orlando Pirates players rested their dejected bodies across the pitch.

Aljie Schut’s injury-time header – to hand Sundowns a 1-0 win – gave the Brazilians hope of a top eight finish in what has been a miserable season while crushing Pirates’ Premiership title aims.

The result was Sundowns’ third win in a row and saw them move into the top-eight, separated by a superior goal difference from Free State Stars in ninth spot.

It’s a finish that has Mosimane believing in better things to come from the Brazilians next season.

“I am only four months at Sundowns, it hasn’t been that long,” Mosimane said.

“You have to understand that it is difficult at Sundowns. There are lots of expectations.”

“The only thing that helps us is to win. You know how our lives are, we come and go. Sundowns deserves better. Sundowns are a strong team. This is the base, it’s the foundation for me.

“I want the players to understand the culture and my philosophy. The way I want to play. They have started to get a better understanding, it’s a bit late, but this is the foundation.

“Three in a row is encouraging. We said we can do four in a row and we spoke about it with the players. We even brought in a motivational speaker to help us so that we can do four in a row.”

Mental strength is a key area that the former Bafana Bafana coach wants to develop at Sundowns with plans to take the outfit to West Africa in pre-season. In December he took the side to Zimbabwe to do that and believes they came back sharper mentally, having played in tough conditions in that country.

Roger de Sa has taken his Pirates’ charges to even tougher terrain – like the Democratic Republic of Congo to TP Mazembe, returning with a place in the group stages of the Caf Champions League.