Sundowns won't pity Swallows despite Rulani's feelings

Despite having a soft spot for Swallows and caretaker coach Musa Nyatama, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena will not have an mercy when they face each other in the DStv Premiership match at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday (3pm).

Mokwena said after Sundowns' goalless draw with Cape Town City on Tuesday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium that he has a soft spot for Nyatama and Swallows ahead of their clash this weekend.

But having already wrapped up the league title, Sundowns still have other objectives to achieve and one of those is to break their league points record by the end of the season. The record was set  in the 2015/16 season.

They are still on course to break that and can reach a maximum of 78 points if they win their remaining six games, meaning they can still break or equal the 75 points record for the 18-team Premier Soccer League (PSL). The record for the current 16-team league is 71.

Sundown currently have 60 points and lead second-place Orlando Pirates by 20.

“I'm proud of Musa Nyatama, he is someone I hold in very high regard as a former football player and a human being, so I have to give him the respect that he deserves,” Mokwena told the media after the match.

“It is also a club that I like. It is a club from Soweto, where I was born, so it is one of the clubs that I have a soft spot for. It is a team that I expect to give their all and fight. They are in a very difficult position.”

Swallows, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their 1-0 victory over AmaZulu last weekend when they face champions Sundowns. In the reverse fixture, Sundowns won 2-0 in January and will be eyeing a double.