MATSHELANE MAMABOLO
DISCARD ANY thoughts you might have that Mamelodi Sundowns’ defeat by Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 semi-final is a sign the Brazilians are vulnerable to being deposed as champions of South Africa’s elite football league.
League winners for the past seven seasons, Sundowns lost 2-0 on aggregate to Stellies following 1-0 defeats at home and away in the season-opening tournament and the local football fraternity suddenly got excited, believing their reign could well be over.
Manqoba Mngqithi, the new man at the helm at Chloorkop, has since been roundly described as probably not good enough for the job of head coach as many criticised him for changing the way Sundowns play.
He was calmness personified at the launch of the new Betway Premiership season and confidently predicted that he will deliver the championship to club president Tlhopie Motsepe.
“We hardly go into a match without knowing what to expect. That’s why we become so disappointed when we lose matches we were supposed to win, because the truth of the matter is we (would) have done all the work that we needed to do.”
“This season is simply about winning. We have the responsibility, we have the resources, we’ve got everything that is necessary to win. So, we should try to win. We have the responsibility to win the championship and I think we have the right ammunition to win the championship.”
That his team were beaten by Stelliies did not seem to have affected him too much, Mngqithi reminding the media that Sundowns generally struggled with the season-opening tournament.
“We know very well that the MTN8 has always been that cup which is a challenge for us all the time. Even when we won Champions League (in 2016), the only cup that we did not win was the MTN8.”
While he acknowledged that Orlando Pirates would once again be their main challengers for championship glory, Mngqithi believes the Buccaneers will be their own worst enemy.
“They will be the team (to challenge Sundowns), but they’ve got the tendency to lose against small teams and the league (title) is won by winning all the small games. Even if they beat you, if you can beat all the other small teams, we will win the league.”
Interestingly, he does not see their MTN8 conquerors Stellies as a threat.
“I don’ think Stellenbosch have the depth to sustain (their competitiveness) throughout the season.”
And Mngqithi believes Sundowns have got the championship-winning recipe down to a tee and that their success over the years has not diminished their desires for more glory.
“The truth is we have the depth and quality, that’s number one. And number two, the culture of working very hard – including getting all the details about all the teams we are playing against.
“We hardly go into a match without knowing what to expect. That’s why we become so disappointed when we lose matches we were supposed to win, because the truth of the matter is we (would) have done all the work that we needed to do. We always put ourselves in a very good position to win the match.”
It’s an ominous warning for the rest of the Premiership. They might have looked fragile and ripe for the taking in their matches against Stellies, but Sundowns are determined to remain South African Premiership champions for an eighth season running.
“I believe we have the team and the ammunition to really fight and make sure that we try and win this first trophy, because the DSTV (Premiership) started and ended with us. Why not the Betway (Premiership) as well?”