- Mokwena said he will persist with inverted full-backs
- Sundowns coach feels the approach is key to his style
- The approach nearly proved costly against Al Ahly
WHAT HAPPENED? Modiba operated as an inverted full-back in Saturday’s Caf Champions League match against Al Ahly, which Sundowns won 5-2, getting infield from the left to create an overload, although he left gaps that the Egyptian giants scored their two goals from.
The left-back lost his marker in the move that led to Al Ahly’s equaliser, which was scored by Mohamed Sherif, before Percy Tau dribbled past him to make it 3-2 shortly after halftime.
The approach was criticised by a section of fans who feel Sundowns might pay a heavy prize if they persist with it, but while he acknowledges its pitfalls, Mokwena does not intend to ditch it, as he believes it contributes greatly to the progressive style he wants his squad to play.
WHAT DID HE SAY? “My fault, and it is always my fault, for the mistakes you have to blame me,” Mokwena said as quoted by Times Live.
“Rewind a bit and go to the match against Coton Sport [Sundowns' 3-1 win in Cameroon] in the good moments appreciate it and in the bad moments also take it. I want an inverted full-back, I want an extra player in build-up and sometimes it works, like in the fifth goal [against Ahly].
“This is because people commit an extra number [in attack, via an inverted fullback, allowing the central midfielder to push forward], but no one sees it. When it doesn’t happen and something [bad] happens from it, it is my fault. It is me who says that and we will continue to play that way.
“It has worked the entire season, when there are mistakes, I will be the first to put up my hand. I don’t hide and definitely I will persist 100 percent.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mokwena is wedded to an attacking brand of football and always seeks to employ different tactics to outwit his opponents as witnessed on Saturday when Sundowns made 10-time African champions Al Ahly look ordinary.
The Brazilians seek to dominate possession and the inverted full-back is key to achieving this as the player tucks inside instead of playing wide, acting as an extra central midfielder, to outnumber rival teams in the middle of the park.
It has worked for Sundowns so far as they are close to sealing a sixth straight PSL title, lead their Champions League group with 10 points from four matches, while they are in the quarter-final of the Nedbank Cup, having gone unbeaten since September 2.
WHAT’S NEXT? Sundowns have a PSL game at home to Royal AM on Tuesday before they visit Al-Hilal in the Champions League on March 18.
