Johannesburg – Despite losing 1-0 to Mpumalanga Black Aces in Nelspruit on Wednesday night, Mamelodi Sundowns' coach Pitso Mosimane says there is no need for the soccer team's supporters to panic.
Clifford Mulenga scored inside 10 minutes to hand Aces the shock win over the Premiership leaders, but Mosimane shrugged off the result, believing the Brazilians would be back to their best in no time.
“We don’t like to lose, but this happens to Manchester United, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. So why not Sundowns?” Mosimane said after the game at Mbombela Stadium.
“We have to lose some games. We are a football team, we’re not a machine.”
The defeat means Mosimane’s side have now lost to both of the newly-promoted teams, Aces and Polokwane City, this season.
City surprised the big-spending outfit from Chloorkop 1-0, but Sundowns remained top of the log, ahead of second-placed Kaizer Chiefs by two points.
“We’re still on top of the log. We don’t have to push panic buttons,” Mosimane said.
He commended both Aces and their coach Clive Barker for the team’s mental fortitude, as they headed into the game clear underdogs against the highly-fancied Premiership front-runners.
“They earned the victory and we should accept it, it was not meant to be,” he said.
Meanwhile, Barker was equally generous in his praise for the opposition, but said Aces deserved to be commended for the victory.
“They (Sundowns) were terrific. They epitomise everything that is good in South African football,” the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach said.
“We hung in there and fought hard and you have to pay tribute also to our side to make a game of it.
“All-in-all, it was a helluva match. Unlucky to Pitso, but I’m very happy for my babies.”
Aces' win lifted them into ninth position, level on 14 points with the University of Pretoria, who are coached by Barker’s nephew Steve, capping a successful night for the Barker family, following Tuks’s 3-1 win over Free State Stars in Pretoria.
Elsewhere, Wits defeated Moroka Swallows 1-0 at Dobsonville Stadium to lift the Clever Boys into third, while Bloemfontein Celtic managed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Golden Arrows at home. – Sapa