Mamelodi Sundowns' head coach Rulani Mokwena has commented on the club's recent act of having their players transported to Tanzania with a chartered flight.
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The Brazilians pulled off all the stops to ensure that their contingent of Bafana Bafana players were available for their CAF Champions League quarter final first leg clash against Young Africans.
As such, the Chloorkop outfit, who have never shied away from their deep pockets, chartered a flight for Teboho Mokoena, Ronwen Williams, Grant Kekana, Thapelo Morena, Themba Zwane, Aubrey Modiba and Terrence Mashego from Algeria to Tanzania.
Sundowns, for their efforts, walked away with a credible draw going into Friday's second leg encounter.
Now, Mokwena opened up on the club's drastic measures, revealing that the practice is a norm across the world with all the big clubs going the extra mile for their players.
“It’s done all over the world. In fact what teams do now is that they collaborate. So you find Man City’s South American players in the same flight as Liverpool’s South American players and they collaborate in chartered flights and private transportation that gets them back to the clubs as quickly as possible because preparation time is so important,” he told journalists after the game.
“With such a limited turnover, you’ve got to look for these type of means.
“We have got to show gratitude for the support we receive from the football club and the Motsepe family because these type of things cost money from the generosity of the family. Our Chairman is so supportive in these type of situations. We’ve got to thank the Chairman, the Board and the leadership of the club for always extending a helping hand.
“In fact, it was coming from them [the leadership of the club] – it wasn’t even coming from me. It was suggested by the club and you have to appreciate that they give you and the players so much support.
“That’s the most I can say. Whatever you do at Sundowns, you always get judged and there’s a comment, so I’d rather not speak about what the perception is and except saying it’s done worldwide by some of the big clubs and also extend humble gratitude to the family and to the football club for the support that they give us," he said.
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