‘Difficult’ Mokwena demands more from Sundowns’ new signings

Rhulani Mokwena’s assessment of Mamelodi Sundowns’ two bright new signings showed why the Brazilians have dominated SA football the past few seasons. 

Thapelo Maseko and Lucas Ribeiro Costa have made smooth transitions at Sundowns. Maseko was a live wire for the Tshwane side on the left flank, tormenting Reeve Frosler in the 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday to earn the man of the match award.

Ribeiro gave Sundowns the lead against Amakhosi, taking his tally to two goals in two matches after also scoring against Sekhukhune United. But Mokwena is not singing their praises just yet.

“He [Maseko] can do better,” Mokwena said. “I am proud and happy that we are making progress, but he knows my feelings. More end product. Busy does not necessarily mean effective.” 

In just two matches, Costa has not only shown his prolific side, but also his versatility. Against Chiefs, Costa played as a No 10, on the wing and as a second striker.

It is those qualities that made Sundowns snap him up from SK Beveren in Belgium. With the departure of Cassius Mailula and Themba Zwane, the Brazilian is going to be an important player at Sundowns.

“He is a good player, a ceiling raiser,” said Mokwena. “He gives us many good things, possibilities to have a more flexible offensive line. He is a good player, but like I said about Maseko, I believe Lucas can give more. But with all the new players, we’ve got to be patient and support them. 

“They got hugs from me for a very good performance today {Wednesday]. But they will also get to understand me a bit more, like the ones who have been with the team for quite some time now, that I am difficult to satisfy. Very difficult. And even when they give a little more than what they expect, I still expect a bit more.” 

The pair will continue their exploits for Sundowns when they take on Swallows on Saturday in the MTN8. While they work on adapting to the club, Mokwena and the club’s technical team will work on getting the best out of them.

Over the years, Sundowns have transformed talented players into monsters who have gone on to shine on bigger stages.

Mokwena explained the secret behind Sundowns’ ability to get the best out of their players: “Maseko and [Bathusi] Aubaas were the last to go to bed last night [Tuesday]. We were in the video room with the analysts. We were analysing not just their performance at their previous clubs, but also their performance at training. We cut performances of some of the players who play in those positions.

“Last night we spent time watching Leroy [Sane], not the Leroy Sane of Bayern [Munich], but the Leroy Sane of Manchester City, because their role is a bit closer to that. Maseko and Aubaas had to sacrifice a bit of sleep to spend time with us. That’s how we work. We work hard behind the scenes.”