Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rhulani Mokwena has discussed the team’s opening 2-1 Premier Soccer League (PSL) victory against Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday.

Goals from Peter Shalulile and Lucas Ribeiro ensured that the Brazilians secured three points and kicked off their campaign to defend the title on a high note. Speaking after the game, Mokwena said: “The first game of the season is always difficult, there are still a few cobwebs, there is still a bit of anxiety, we also don’t know so much about the opposition, it’s difficult without proper information to do the due diligence that we normally do.”

“The boys were very brave and put in a very good shift with a new formation and a couple of new schemes – with a couple of new players. It’s a good base, we can only improve and get better from here.”

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He added: “I thought we did well in some moments, of course with it being the first game we still have to work on our cohesion and fluidity, it’s not going to come in the first game. It’s about four or five games to build the momentum, but whilst you are doing that [it’s important] that you still have moments of dominance and that you win games.”

Mokwena also discussed the return of midfielder Rivaldo Coetzee after a long injury layoff: “We wanted to try to do something a little bit different, to try to create superiorities on the pitch and free up certain players in situations where we can take advantage of their quality,” he said, adding: “And we’ve got different ways of trying to do that and creating overloads but one of them who is going to be important is Rivaldo but ja as you say it’s a team effort and it’s a pity that a very good performance like that it’s a little bit dampened by the retaliation for the red card.”

The action will come thick and fast and the Brazilians will make their way back home to gear up for their next match against rivals Kaizer Chiefs.