Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena has expressed his thoughts on the significance of the 1-1 MTN8 semi-final draw against rivals Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Amakhosi were the first team to draw blood in the second half, Ashley Du Preez whipped in a long cross from the right side of the field to pinpoint his teammate, Edson Castilo who put one in against Ronwen Williams with a diving header. The Brazilians showed their resilience when they were trailing behind and it was only in the concluding minutes of the match that Khuliso Mudau found the back of the net with a powerful header.

Mokwena provided a summary of the 90 minutes and insight into the team’s performance, further acknowledged the fierce competition that Chiefs brought to the field, and praised their efforts as they head into the second leg preparations.

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“I have to be careful because I can’t be a Sundowns coach and celebrate draws, I will get into big trouble,” said Mokwena, adding: “I don’t know how to feel about it, but there’s a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for sure, maybe not for the scoreline but for the performance in its entirety and for the process of showing desire and wanting to win every single match. I think that’s still very important for us as a club and for us as a team.”

He continued: “The feeling is of course like a victory and I want to congratulate the football club and the players for a very good performance, very dominant and 71% ball possession against a team like Kaizer Chiefs at FNB is not easy but we did very, very well today. I think we deserved to win, I think at the very, very least we didn’t deserve to lose. Congratulations to the players for an incredible fighting spirit and showing a big heart, fighting against all odds, to get an important result.”