Today is too painful - Arteta after Nottingham loss.

It is the last six games of the season that Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, believes a team challenging for the title should be at their best, and it is the last six games that the gunners were at their worst.

While Manchester City were firing from all cylinders, Arsenal simply disintegrated.

The Gunners have lost three out of their last five games, and so the dream ended.

Speaking after the loss to Nottingham Forest, Arteta admitted that his troops came up short towards the end of the battle for the English Premier League title.

“(We’re) sad because we lost the game, sad because obviously it’s the day we have lost the championship,” said Arteta as quoted by www.arsenal.com

“After 10 and a half months fighting for it, working every single day, just trying to get to that dream that we all had, and that we all fought for so hard.

“But at the end, we came up short. You need to get the team in the best moment in the last six league games; everybody healthy, everybody playing at their best and in the key moments, take those moments and maintain the momentum, and we haven’t been able to do that.

While losing to Nottingham, therefore confirming City as EPL champions is painful, Arteta still wants to prepare well and give the Gunners supporters the best possible display in their next game.

ALSO READ: Rulani Mokwena on Mothobi Mvala: https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/05/he-felt-coachs-love-mokwena-on-mvala.html?m=1

“Today is too painful and I think we have to heal now for the next three days,” he said. “Make sure we prepare well this week, we have a huge responsibility to give our people the best possible performance and a win, with the support and everything that they’ve done for the team, and we need to do that first."

In their next match, Arsenal will host Wolves on Sunday 28 May at the Emirates Stadium. The game will kick-off at 17:30.

He felt the coach’s love - Mokwena on Mvala.

   Image: iDiskiTV

Despite being unbeaten in the CAF Champions League, Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated from the competition on Saturday afternoon by defending champions, Wydad AC.

The defeat, a bitter pill to swallow, should feel like the end of the world to Mothobi Mvala, who scored the own goal that sent Sundowns packing.

A warrior, Mvala is, always in the line of fire where only the brave dare to fight from, unfortunately, on Saturday he fell while fighting a good fight, and the war was lost.

At this moment, all that Mvala needs is love, even from the bleeding hearts of Sundowns supporters.

And that is exactly what Sundowns coach, Rulani Mokwena has showered the defender with, love and affection in his time of tribulation.

"But what did I say to Mothobi, if anything… I, in moments like this, there’s two things, one; they say those that don’t make mistakes, are those that are probably not doing anything at all," said Mokwena as quoted by iDiski Times. https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/caf-champions-league/rulani-on-tau-in-final-and-message-to-mvala/

"And two; I don’t think he’s prepared to listen to the coach at the moment. But he felt the coach’s love, I can definitely assure you of that.

"I gripped the hand firmly, I pulled the body a lot closer, and I gave him the reassurance that he’s not alone and that for me is probably far more important than any of the words I could have uttered."

Downs supporters, even in defeat, have shown a beautiful tendency to stand with their team, and Mothobi needs them more than ever at this moment.

Not criticism, not questions on whether he should have started the game ahead of the likes of Grant Kekana or not, just support from the yellow nation. 

Experience takes Wydad to the CAFCL final.

Mamelodi Sundowns have the quality, but Wydad AC have all the experience, and it was experience that won the day for them as the defending champions marched on to another showdown against Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League.

And the sad thing is, one can't buy experience with any amount of cash, but more often than not, one pays for it through painful experiences, as Sundowns did on Saturday afternoon.

A team that has made Africa sit up and take notice with their cutting edge brand of football, couldn't take their game a gear up against a determined Wydad, whom as they showed when they twice came from behind to force a 2-2 draw, still had more gears to change to according to the game's demands.

Sundowns head coach, Rulani Mokwena, accepted that lack of experience let his side down.

“The difference is the experience, you can’t buy it. We’ve got to learn from it, we’ve got to feel what it feels like to lose,” Mokwena told SuperSport TV as quoted by iDiski Times. https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/caf-champions-league/mokwena-makes-bold-claim-after-cafcl-exit/

“We’ll win the Champions League, for sure. We will win it.

“It will take another season maybe and another season. And maybe… But we will do it, we will get there."

It is the painful lessons that came with Saturday afternoon's defeat which Mokwena believes will make Sundowns a better side.

“We just have to take these painful experiences as lessons.”

ALSO READ: Read all about how Chippa United made this writer eat humble pie. https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/05/chippa-survives-maritzburg-hang-on-as-i.html?m=1

“There is a lot [of lessons we’ll take from this game],” he added.

“At the moment, I’m too emotional to even think about the lessons but we go again.

“I’m wishing Wydad all the best for the final. We call it ‘football heritage’ but we will learn from it, we will be better, we will get there.”

Chippa Survives, Maritzburg hang on, as I eat humble pie.

I was convinced, that the best Chippa United could do was to survive relegation through the play-offs.  Nothing, and no one, would have convinced me otherwise. 

But this afternoon, football proved me wrong, as Chippa United players hoisted their Chairman, Chippa Mpengesi on the air, celebrating their survival. 

Football proved me wrong just as it did when it comes to Maritzburg United. 

In my football world,  Maritzburg were as good as relegated, though their draw against Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday planted a seed of doubt in my mind on their imminent relegation. 

The rumors of the alleged unrest in the Marumo Gallants camp because of the CAF Confederations Cup bonuses the players felt they deserved for reaching the semi-finals left me with a dilemma, will they be able to fully apply themselves against a rampant Swallows to survive relegation? 

I got my answer when instead of a Maritzburg that was as good as dead to me, Marumo Gallants, that of a fairy tale run in Africa, got relegated, while Maritzburg will have another survival chance in the play-offs. 

None of what happened this afternoon was part of my script for this weekend's Dstv Premiership finale, absolutely none. 

As I sit here, munching on my humble pie, the taste of it makes me think of one Kgoloko Thobejane's famous words, "Football, can kill you a real death."

I am not dead, but my predictions are. 

The coach will surprise us again - Vandenbroeck on Mokwena.

Mamelodi Sundowns will host Wydad AC this afternoon at Loftus Versfeld in a CAF Champions League second leg semi-final encounter.

The two sides played to a goalless draw in Morocco last weekend, which left the fixture wide open.

Wydad coach, Sven Vandenbroeck, is wary of the Sundowns tactical approach, which he says has too many variations and hard to predict.

Vandenbroeck says Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola's influence is evident in the Sundowns team, with coach Rulani Mokwena being an admirer of the Spanish tactician.

Sundowns play a fluid brand of football that leaves opposition chasing shadows for most parts of the game.

"Coach Rulani, he’s [been] following Pep Guardiola for a long period, so he has a lot of variations [of tactics], in Morocco, he tried one and I think he has another three or four [variations]. So yes it’s a lot of work [to try and compete against him], that’s why two weeks work or three days preparation is sometimes not enough," said Vandenbroeck as quoted by iDiski Times. https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/caf-champions-league/wydad-coach-on-rulanis-guardiola-references/

"You can give a lot of information to players, but you cannot cover everything, so even tomorrow (Saturday) in the game, we will be very concentrated on what we’re doing, observing what they are doing, and trying to find solutions."

Vandenbroeck expects Mokwena to come up with more tactical surprises this afternoon.

ALSO READ: Al Ahly to win their 11th CAFCL title?
https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/05/al-ahly-to-take-their-throne-back.html?m=1

"The problem in Morocco was there were 60 to 70 thousand [fans] and the players can’t hear you all the time so we had to wait until half-time to rectify things but then the red card came, so we didn’t have to [change] with one man more… But I’m pretty sure tomorrow (Saturday) the coach will surprise us again."

Kick-off the will be at 15:00, with the winner set to face Al Ahly SC in the final on the 4th and the 11th of June. 

Al Ahly to take their throne back?

• Al Ahly reach fourth consecutive CAFCL final.

• It's their sixth final in seven years.

• They could win the title for the 11th time.

Al Ahly SC beat Esperance Tunis 4-0 on aggregate on Friday night at the Cairo International Stadium to advance to the CAF Champions League final.

The Red Eagles had made the second leg a little easier for them by winning 3-0 away in the first leg played in Tunisia.

In a dominant display on Friday, where Al Ahly averaged 70% ball possession, it was Hussein El Shahat who scored the Red Eagles winning goal as early as the 22nd minute after Percy Tau played him through on goal.

With their win last night, Ahly have now reached the CAFCL final for four seasons in a row, having won two of them, and lost last season's edition to Wydad AC.

The history making Egyptian giants are line to win their 11th title, from 15 finals. While they will be playing in their 16th final, it will be their sixth in seven years.

The big question is, can they take back their throne?

ALSO READ: Teko Modise on Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC. https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/05/wydad-is-not-going-to-be-easy-modise.html?m=1

History tells a story of an Al Ahly side that goes on to win CAFCL tournaments whenever they have disastrous starts to the competition.

To qualify for the quarter-finals in this campaign, the Red Eagles needed Mamelodi Sundowns to do them a favour by not losing to Al Hilal Omdurman, a game that ended in a 1-1 draw to give Ahly a life line.

Now that they are in the final again, could history be repeating itself?

Ahly will face either Sundowns or Wydad AC in the final.

Wydad is not going to be easy - Modise.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfield general, Teko Modise, who is currently the team's ambassador, has sent a warning about the threat of Wydad AC.

Sundowns face Wydad on Saturday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in a highly anticipated CAF Champions League semi-final.

With the game at a delicate 0-0 after the first leg, Modise has warned Sundowns not to allow Wydad to score first, while encouraging them to remember how good they are as a team.

"It is a tough one, Wydad is one of those teams that if they score first you can play until next week because it is difficult to score against them," said Modise, as quoted by Times Live. https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2023-05-19-teko-modise-urges-sundowns-players-to-remember-how-good-they-are-against-wydad/

"But Sundowns need to remember how good they are. They showed against Al Ahly here during the group stages, where the game was difficult, but they came through."

One thing that has impressed Modise about Downs' current team, is their ability to rise to the occasion, something they will have to do against Wydad.

ALSO READ: Aubrey Modiba on his inverted full-back role. https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/05/modiba-has-paid-his-school-fees.html?m=1

"One thing I like about Sundowns is whenever they are asked to show what they are about, they perform. This is one of those hurdles we need to jump. 

"Wydad is not going to be easy, but we need to use our home ground advantage with the fans."

Kick-off will be at 15:00.

The winner will face Al Ahly SC on June 04, and 11 in the final after they beat Esperance 4-0 on aggregate.