I’m fine-tuning Mokwena’s tactics, says Sundowns coach Mngqithi

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has dismissed the notion that he is changing Rulani Mokwena’s footprint at the club, crediting his predecessor for the work he did before leaving for Wydad Casablanca in the off-season.

Sundowns maintained their perfect start to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) season by coming from behind to beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 at a packed FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Goals from Lucas Ribeiro and Iqraam Rayners saw the Brazilians bounce back before the break after Ranga Chivaviro’s early opener for Amakhosi.

Mngqithi’s omission in recent games of two of the most influential players of the Mokwena era in midfielder Teboho Mokoena and right-back Khuliso Mudau may have suggested the new boss is stamping his authority on the club. He also wasted no time making two newcomers, Rayners and Asekho Tiwani, an integral part of his combination.

However, Mngqithi emphasised he has not changed much, saying he’s only added aspects where he believed the team had previously lacked. The Sundowns coach also lauded Mokwena for the work he did, suggesting it would be foolish to change his predecessor’s structure.

Mokwena steered Downs to back-to-back Caf Champions League semifinals. Taking over as head coach in October 2022 after being part of a co-coaching structure with Mngqithi and Steve Komphela, Mokwena wrapped up the 2022/23 Premiership title by 16 points from runners-up Orlando Pirates and the 2023/24 championship — the Brazilians’ seventh in succession — by 23, setting a points record (73). 

He also won the inaugural African Football League in 2023.

“It was ignorance from the beginning to think we’ve changed anything because I think we added; we didn’t change anything,” Mngqithi said after his team’s win on Saturday.

“Sometimes people jump to conclusions before they ask. You end up with situations where people think there’s something that has happened and yet there’s nothing.

“I’ve been in this institution for so many years and I know what has gone right and what has gone wrong, and I know areas that need to be improved. I also commend the good work my predecessor did because there was a lot of work Rulani did, which is good and is helping the club.

“If I was stupid or ignorant or had low self-esteem, I would have gone in the direction of wanting to change and bring my own things. It was baffling hearing people talking the way they talked.

“The truth was, we wanted to improve the speed of play because we were a team that wasn’t strong on transitions, we were a team that wasn’t strong on break attacks and we were a team that didn’t have maximum width.”

With the MTN8 final and a Fifa international break coming, Sundowns will be out of action for almost a month until their PSL clash against Polokwane City at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on October 27.