Mngqithi mystified by Sundowns’ inability to dominate cup competitions

Champions Mamelodi Sundowns may be a force in the league but coach Pitso Mosimane’s charges surprisingly struggle to transfer this dominance to cup competitions.

Sundowns have won four league titles in the past six seasons but strangely have laid their hands on just two major domestic cups.

They won the Nedbank Cup by defeating Ajax Cape Town 4-3 on penalties in May 2015 and their last piece of domestic cup silverware came a few months later when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 to lift the Telkom Knockout.

In this period of unparalleled success‚ which includes the Caf Champions League and the Caf Super Cup‚ the MTN8 competition has continued to elude the Brazilians.

Downs assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi said on Wednesday it is unacceptable.

“For a team like Sundowns it is unacceptable not to win these cup competitions‚” he said. “We have won the Telkom Knockout once, but if you look at the number of years we have been here‚ you will say we deserve to have won the tournament maybe twice or thrice.

“We have also won the Nedbank Cup once, but the MTN8 has eluded us‚” Mngqithi said.

“It does concern us‚ even though they are not the major trophies that we want to win‚” Mngqithi said.

“But who should stop Sundowns from winning these trophies? We are just unlucky. I remember last year in Cape Town we played Cape Town City in the MTN8 and conceded a goal that we should not have conceded. It was offside but nobody talks about that.”