Mamelodi Sundowns’ Khuliso Mudau cannot thank his parents enough for the great support they have given him in his football career.
Proud as he has made them by fulfilling the promise he made to them as a young boy – that he would go on to not only become a professional with a top team, but that he would also play for the national team – Mudau wants to do more.
“I wouldn’t be where I am if it were not the unwavering support my parents gave me. And they are still very supportive,” said the Mamelodi Sundowns right back.
“I want to win an international tournament to make them more proud. I told them I would make them proud, and they did not seem to believe me, even though they were supportive.
“Now they are the ones who have come to me and said you were right, and their support has continued to grow.”
Now, Mudau wants to make them even prouder.
“I want to take a picture with my parents holding a winner’s medal from a big continental competition, and I am going to make sure I do that on Sunday.”
Mudau is sure to be in the Sundowns starting line-up for the second leg of the inaugural African Football League final against Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca.
The Brazilians trail 2-1 from the first leg, but Mudau is confident they will turn the tables on their nemesis from Morocco.
“Obviously, it was painful to lose that first leg. But I am glad we scored the away goal, because it is going to help us for the second leg.”
Sundowns need only win the Loftus Versfeld clash 1-0 to be crowned champions via the away goals rule.
And the lad from Musina in Limpopo is confident they have the beating of Wydad.
Besides his personal drive to see himself flanked by his parents with the winner’s medal dangling from his neck, Mudau said it would just be wrong for Sundowns not to win.
“Imagine the cup is coming here to South Africa, and how bad it would be if we allowed it to leave after the match?
“Our supporters would not forgive us, and we would also not want to see that happening.
“We have failed to win the MTN8 when we played in the final, and we are out of the Carling (Knock-out Cup). This is our chance to win a trophy, and this one is even bigger because it is a continental one. We have to win.”
There’s another motivation that will drive Mudau and his teammates to dish out a match-winning performance.
“Also, our coach (Rulani Mokwena) told us that president (Patrice) Motsepe will be the one giving the medals and the trophy. Can you imagine how bad it would be if the Sundowns owner was to give the winners’ medals to Wydad?
“He has to give them to us. We have to make him proud,” he said of the Sundowns owner, who will be at the stadium in his capacity as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and founder of the AFL.
To that effect, Mudau has called on the Sundowns fans to fill Loftus and paint it yellow, just as the Wydad fans turned the Stade Mohamed V red last Sunday night.
“It will really help us to have a packed stadium.
“We are expecting the crowd to push us in the same way that the Wydad fans pushed their club last week.
“I know that Masandawana want this trophy just as much as we do, and they will come through and support us. We want to create our own history and we are going to do that on Sunday.
“And for me it would be great to do it with my parents watching. They will be at the stadium on Sunday.”
IOL Sport