By his own admission, Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena says he is not the same coach when he faces his former side Orlando Pirates in what is expected to be a heated battle between two giants.
Read: Does Mokoena Have A European Buy-Out Clause?
The history of Mokwena and Pirates run deeper than just the four lines on a football pitch.
Not only has he been in the dugout of the Buccaneers as a coach himself, but his family ties to the Buccaneers stretches far and wide.
Therefore, when his current side and his former side clash this Saturday, it is bound to be an emotional game between two formidable rivals, so much so, that Mokwena has to ask for forgiveness from his players beforehand for his touchline antics.
"The good thing is I always ask the players just before we play Pirates and I tell them, 'forgive me', even before we start, I asked them, forgive me because I know how my emotions are. They hit the rooftop, you know? So I'm not the same coach before when we prepare for Pirates and they know that because they know me very well. You know, unfortunately it's one of those games that there's far too much to it and it's very difficult to become less emotional," he told journalists at a press conference at the club's Chloorkop base.
"There's still people at that club that I fully respect and the chairman will always be someone that's very special to me and the club itself from a family perspective, is a club that's got so many connotations to my family and what some of the members of my family are today, it is because of Orlando Pirates, so I can never, ever, ever go into a place where I disrespect Orlando Pirates because the first person that would fight me is my late grandfather. He would turn in his grave and so everything that I do and at every point I've got to show respect and humility towards Pirates.
"But of course my allegiance and my responsibility now is towards Mamelodi Sundowns and I have to give everything that I can to make sure that we are ready, but also to make sure that we win because that's the mentality and as always the responsibility is to give the very best that I can to a club that I love because I love Mamelodi Sundowns and I want Mamelodi Sundowns to win every single match and to win every single trophy. Because before I'm a Sundowns coach, I'm a Sundowns fan. Because of the love that I've grown to have for this football club and so it's, it's very, very important that I remain focused on the most important things and the most important things are the preparation, the energy, the intensity and to make sure that you are in the right space to win the match. Hey, maybe from my point," he said.
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