Mamelodi Sundowns utterly shocked by Orlando Pirates defeat
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena was nearly speechless after his team lost the Nedbank Cup final to Orlando Pirates, with Relebohile Mofokeng scoring in the 94th minute.
Themba Zwane initially put Sundowns ahead, but Pirates equalized through a penalty by Patrick Maswanganyi. The 19-year-old Mofokeng then made headlines with his late-game heroics.
Mofokeng skillfully dribbled past Bongani Zungu before slotting the ball past Ronwen Williams, sending Pirates and their fans into a frenzy. After the final whistle, a stunned Mokwena watched as the treble slipped from his team’s grasp.
“I still don’t know what happened, I honestly don’t what happened here,” he said on SuperSport TV.
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“Football can be very cruel, can it!? We miss a penalty, they get a penalty, they score, they equalise but we dominate the game, I mean…
“Then there is this free-kick that I don’t even think should be going that way. But ok, it’s what cup finals are all about – congratulations to Pirates. We take the lesson and we move on.”
Mokwena later stated that he believes Sundowns were the better side, but somehow still didn’t end up with the trophy.
“I don’t know how we lost this match, honestly I don’t know,” he continued.
“I don’t want to use injuries as an excuse because we should’ve won the game – only one team on the pitch.
“But anyway, it’s football, isn’t it.”
While Sundowns missed out, the Orlando Pirates have achieved back-to-back cup doubles under the leadership of Jose Riveiro, winning both the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.