Mamelodi Sundowns are entering the crucial stage of the season seemingly running out of gas, with their quadruple ambitions getting a serious test.
Despite reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, Sundowns could not score in open play over two legs against Young Africans and have also been sluggish in the league, after needing a last-minute winner against Richards Bay FC and a penalty goal against Cape Town Spurs, to win both games 1-0.
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After their narrow win over Spurs, Mokwena admitted, in a post-match press conference, that they are short of confidence at the moment, especially up front, with the likes of Peter Shalulile off-form.
"We're lacking confidence a little bit at the moment, especially in the attacking schemes. we're struggling a bit," Mokwena told reporters at Athlone Stadium.
"But okay, every team has these phases. The positive is that when we go through a difficult patch like this, we're still able to grind out results and I keep asking them not to give up.
"I speak to the conditioning people and they tell me the effort in terms of the data, kilometres, the intensity was good, so maybe even one of the best of the season," he said.
The congested fixture schedule has meant less training time for the Brazilians and that has come at a cost, although the team has managed to get results.
"This season is probably the most difficult I have experienced as an assistant coach or as a head coach (at Sundowns). Because I have no training time, I have no time on the pitch with these players," Mokwena lamented.
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"We have so much time to evaluate on the footage, but it's not enough to correct some of the things."
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