The Star E-dition

It’s treble or bust for dominant Downs

MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za

MAMELODI Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi is sitting on the fence about the Brazilians’ season after missing out on a quadruple.

Sundowns’ three wise men – Mngqithi, Rulani Mokwena and

Steve Komphela, – tarted life at the helm on a high note last season, winning the the club’s fourth Premiership title in a row and 11th in total.

This season, the club broke the bank and bolstered their squad with local and international stalwarts such as Teboho Mokoena.

With the arrival of the new blood, Sundowns were expected to return to the pinnacle of African football. But the Brazilians crashed out of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals for a second year running.

To their consolation, though, Sundowns are on course to win a domestic treble after winning the MTN8 crown earlier in the season before recently being crowned league champions, while they face Marumo Gallants in the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday.

Amid all their shortcomings and successes this season, Mngqithi has failed to put his head on the block and say whether their season was a failure or not.

“This will look like a very successful season to everyone else but to us as coaches and the players, we know we could have had the quadruple,” said Mngqithi.

“But unfortunately, we bombed out of the Champions League. However, to a certain extent, we are still proud of what we have achieved this season. We have done much better than last season.”

The appointment of the coaching trio was deemed as a ticking bomb by some pundits, given that Mngqithi, Mokwena and Komphela hail from different coaching schools.

Mngqithi, a former teacher by profession, is accustomed to the traditional ways of coaching,

Mokwena is new school and all about technology and analysis of data, while Komphela is an astute player’s coach who values human qualities.

There have been cracks in the union, but the trio have put their differences aside to be a force to be reckoned with, not only in local football but continentally as well.

“As a person, I’m very positive. I always give room for people to be pessimistic because it is in our nature,” Mngqithi said.

“So, I’m just saying that it’s very important in life to stay on the positive side and that is what has carried me throughout my life. I always try to see the silver lining in everything, I never really focus on the dark cloud because it will bring rain.”

The Brazilians cross paths with Dan ‘Dance’ Malesela’s Gallants, the defending Cup champions, at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday night.

Sundowns, who won the competition three seasons ago under Pitso Mosimane, are clear favourites, but Mngqithi is wary of the ‘David v Goliath’ mantra in the competition.

“These are some of the matches that I don’t like, matches where you are expected to win, and everybody looks at you as the favourites to win the match, are very difficult,” Mngqithi added.

SPORT

en-za

2022-05-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thestar.pressreader.com/article/282260964083287

African News Agency