Mihlali Baleka
Mamelodi Sundowns are where coach Manqoba Mngqithi wants them to be this season, but he acknowledges there’s still a long way to go before they can operate like a well-oiled machine. The Brazilians were in beast mode on Saturday night, hammering their rivals Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 in the Carling Knockout quarter-final at the buzzing FNB Stadium.
The men in yellow flexed their muscles over Amakhosi, scoring an impressive 11 goals in their last three visits to the Calabash this year across all competitions. While Sundowns don’t need to beat Chiefs to prove their supremacy in South African football, impressive performances against their traditional rivals will set them apart from the rest.
This particular win was essential for Sundowns, not just to progress to the semi-final of the competition but also for their morale after a shaky start to the season. Their campaign in the MTN8 was disappointing, as they barely scraped into the semi-finals only to lose back-to-back matches, having reached that stage on the back of a non-convincing win at home to Polokwane City.
City continued to haunt the Brazilians by handing them their first defeat of the season in the Betway Premiership, beating them 1-0 in their fifth game after Sundowns had managed four successive wins. However, the Brazilians bounced back quickly, securing a vital 3-0 victory over Cape Town City, setting the stage for their high-stakes clash against Chiefs at the iconic 2010 Fifa World Cup venue in Soweto.
Tough times have been lasting for Chiefs in 2024 ⚽👇#CarlingKnockout | #SSDiski pic.twitter.com/yolcl3g4Jm
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 2, 2024
Mngqithi, who faced scrutiny for his team’s inconsistent start and the defeat to City, remains positive about their progress.
“We wanted to pick around this time,” Mngqithi admitted.
“We did not want to arrive at this time with a lot of these players having many games at the back. We are very excited that most of these players have been rotated a lot and haven’t had so much load on their legs. So, we are hoping we will be able to sustain these actions.”
Despite his satisfaction with the win, Mngqithi emphasised the need for consistency going forward, especially as Sundowns juggle three competitions in the coming weeks: the Carling Knockout, Betway Premiership, and CAF Champions League. Given their squad depth, it is reasonable to expect Sundowns to compete across the board. However, Mngqithi is still dissatisfied with his team’s conversion rates, even as they continue to find the net frequently.
He is reluctant to compare himself to his predecessors, Pitso Mosimane and Rulani Mokwena, emphasising the importance of carving his own path.
“I wouldn’t really want to say much about how Pitso and Rulani would do it. But personally, as a coach, I have enjoyed having teams that score a lot of goals,” Mngqithi stated.
“I think I have many records in amateur football where my top goalscorer scored 57 goals. I am that type of coach that wants my team to score. And the relentlessness that you seem to be applauding now, I am unhappy with the number of goals we scored (Saturday). I think we could have scored more.”
Masandawana's pursuit of league cup glory goes on ☝️⚽
Sundowns beat Amakhosi to progress to the #CarlingKnockout semi-final ⏭️#SSDiski pic.twitter.com/sa9ITVZKj5
With both Soweto giants—Chiefs and Orlando Pirates—out of the competition, Sundowns emerge as one of the favourites to win the second edition of the ‘beer cup’. However, Mngqithi is cautious, reminding everyone that his squad must remain focused on each upcoming challenge.
“I never want to look at a cup competition and get ahead of myself. I am that type of person that believes as a team we should always fight to win the next match,” he said.
“If we win more matches, we are likely to win more trophies. As to think this one is for the taking, it’s not what I do.
“I always look at the next opponent and try to find solutions to win the game. I always try to stay focused and look forward to the next one, and the next one.”