WATCH: Sundowns’ advice to Pirates over Simba row

Mamelodi Sundowns co-head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has offered up some words of wisdom to Orlando Pirates after Mandla Ncikazi candidly voiced his frustration with the treatment his team received from Simba SC in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Pirates were furious last weekend after they lost 1-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal, with Ncikazi blasting their Tanzanian hosts, who have since responded in kind.

Mngqithi has offered some advice to his local rivals, telling them to always plan ahead to avoid finding themselves in unpleasent situations.

“In the past there was a lot of bad treatment, but it is mind games more than anything else. We decided to have a team to go in advance and make sure that they prepare everything for us in terms of the training pitches, the buses and the hotel that we are going be accommodated in,” said the Sundowns co-head coach this week.

“We set our standards in the country that we are going to, we don’t rely on the hosts because in some instances you would find out that the training pitch that you are given is of very poor quality, and when you are already there you cannot do much. But if our advance team sees the pitch and realises that it is not good enough, they get another pitch and pay for it.”

Masandawana were the second and most recent South African side to claim the Caf Champions League as they did in 2016, and that has elevated the status of the Pretoria outfit, forcing teams across the continent to give Downs some respect, and that also works in the favour, adds Mngqithi.

“It is the same thing with the buses – they use a lot of these smaller buses. You know the team that you are bringing is large and then you get a proper bus. These are now our responsibilities because in the past, the team that you are going to would organise the hotel and transport and that was bad because they would (also) organise a hotel that they know has issues,” Mngqithi explained.

He added: “At this stage as Sundowns we have earned a lot of respect in the continent and we are treated very well. We are supported across Africa and I would not really complain about anything that much.”