Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed he explained his tactical decisions to players such as Thembinkosi Lorch and Themba Zwane before admitting he takes full responsibility for his tactics.
Masandawana were knocked out of the CAF Champions League in back-to-back semi-finals, losing 2-0 on aggregate to ES Tunis after going down 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday evening.
Mokwena raised some eyebrows ahead of the game, making three changes to his line-up from the first leg, with Peter Shalulile, Thapelo Maseko and Rivaldo Coetzee replacing Thembinkosi Lorch, Themba Zwane and Aubrey Modiba.
After the match, Mokwena ended up short of explaining those decisions but he revealed that he had personal chats to his players about his choices before raising his hand to take full responsibility for his choices.
“I speak [to the players], one of the most important things about what I’ve learnt from some of the many discussion and things that I read is how important communication is and I speak to the players a lot,” he told journalists.
“So I did speak to Lorch, I spoke to Mshishi, but I also spoke to Bongani Zungu because he also has just come back.
“I spoke to Tashreeq because Tash played well and scored a goal last game but he’s been struggling with a stomach bug.
“I spoke to Thapelo Morena, who I thought even when he came on was very good today, he was good in the last game as well.
“Modiba also has been playing well for us, so I had to speak to him. But I speak to the, I talk as much as I possibly can, I explain the reasons why – they don’t always have to agree with the reasons but they’ve got to respect the reasons because I’m the coach and I had to make the decisions.
“And sometimes I’m right and sometimes I’m wrong. Unfortunately in this game of football it’s the results that determines if you’re right or wrong and in this moment, because we lost and we’re out of the Champions League I was wrong and I put up my hand I say ‘I was wrong and therefor I take the full responsibility for it’.
“And it’s something that I have to shoulder as the leader. I can’t hide, no chance and of course face the scrutiny and the negative reactions that will come after.
“And that’s only normal because of the nature of this business.”