Mokwena says a treble would not erase Sundowns' Caf ...

Khuliso Mudau celebrates scoring for Mamelodi Sundowns with teammates in their Nedbank Cup semifinal win against Stellenbosch FC at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Sunday. Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says winning a treble would not make up for the disappointment of exiting this season’s Caf Champions League in the semifinals.

Downs’ impressive 2-1 Nedbank Cup semifinal victory away against tough Stellenbosch FC, the favourites to end the DStv Premiership in the second place they presently occupy, at Danie Craven Stadium on Sunday kept the Pretoria team’s chances of three trophies in 2023-2024 alive.

Sundowns will contest the final against Orlando Pirates — a rematch of the MTN8 final the Brazilians lost on penalties to the Buccaneers in November — at Mbombela Stadium on June 1. If they win they will add the Nedbank trophy to the inaugural African Football League and DStv Premiership titles this campaign.

Downs have had two of their best opportunities to add a second title to their 2016 Champions League victory as Mokwena has steered them to successive semifinals.

A last-gasp own goal cost them progression past Wydad Athletic last campaign. This month they lost 2-0 on aggregate to Esperance Tunis (1-0 home and away), who have had a far less punishing schedule and no domestic midweek matches scheduled, as Downs controversially did by the Premier Soccer League, during the semifinal.

In a frenetic period for the Brazilians the Champions League exit was followed within days by their win against Kaizer Chiefs that secured their seventh successive Premiership title on Thursday, then their Nedbank progression past Stellies, playing a mind-boggling 51st game of the campaign.

“It’s been tough, it’s been amazing, it’s been a rollercoaster ride,” Mokwena admitted of the mixed emotions of Downs’ past fortnight.

“And there’s no moments [to take stock or reflect]. We won the league and the next day at training Ronwen Williams said to me, ‘Can you smile a little bit?’.

“When you live life you experience more failures than successes and that teaches you to not be too high in the good moments and not too low in the bad ones.”

Mokwena was assured in his answer when asked if a treble would make up for the disappointment in the tournament Sundowns covet most, the Champions League.

“No. And I’m talking personally when I say I’m still reeling,” he said.

“Someone tried to console me and say, ‘You’ve got a double already, you’ve got the league and the AFL title, so why are you still reeling?’.

“But I’m reeling. I feel like I’ve let the club and the supporters down.

“I feel I’ve let this group down because it’s my job to lead and when we fail it’s my job to stand in front and assume the responsibility. So I don’t think it [a treble] will make up for it.

“We deserved to be in the semifinals of the Champions League. Based on the performance in the semifinal in the second leg I think we did enough to give ourselves a chance to be in the final.

“Things didn’t go our way. When I say you need luck in the Champions League, there was a moment when we had momentum and were creating chances, there was a thunderstorm and then there was an injury to [Thapelo] Maseko.

“So from 45 minutes of creating pressure it becomes 20 minutes and then the anxiety of having to play the next 45 minutes [needing goals] and that’s not easy.

“The unavailability of our stadium for a 3pm kickoff on a Saturday, which would have given an extra day to recover, with the altitude and heat against a North African side — those things are minute details but minute details that can swing things in your favour.

“I’ve got to accept it even from a philosophical perspective. But that doesn’t minimise the pain. I’ve already apologised to the club and I apologise again for that failure because I take it on my shoulders.

“But that doesn’t mean you don’t try again because eventually we will win the Champions League.”

Mokwena said the superior number of tournament victories and notable edge in decades of experience and pedigree of other teams in the Champions League semifinals puts in perspective how hard Downs’ mission to win another title is.

Sundowns meet Lamontville Golden Arrows at Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale, outside Durban, on Wednesday (7.30pm) as Mokwena’s side (62 points from 24 games) chase the points record for the 16-team Premiership the club set in 2015-2016 of 71.