Are the cracks starting to show in Sundowns technical team?

Before you think this is a witch hunt baying for the heads of Mamelodi Sundowns coaches, hear me out a bit.

It appears as if the honeymoon stage for Mamelodi Sundowns’ coaching trio of Manqoba Mngqithi, Rulani Mokwena and Steve Komphela, otherwise referred to as the ‘three wise men’ – is over for them.

When Pitso Mosimane left the club in 2020, he left the side a well-oiled machine and had already made reinforcements such as Neo Maema and perhaps the most prolific signings in recent South African football transfer market. Peter Shalulile.

ALSO READ: Hunt facing goalkeeper selection headache at SuperSport

The Namibian has gone on to make a return in investment of close to 60 goals for Masandawana in all competitions.

Fast forward a few seasons after “Jingles” left, Sundowns are still a dominant force but are no longer the immovable and unshakable force that they used to be under Mosimane. The flow of play is no longer the same. Their brand of piano and shoe-shine is slowly losing its spark and the piano is losing its tune.

Favoritism

One thing about Shardach, Meshach, and Abendego, as the coaching trio are affectionately known, is that they appear to favour certain players over others. Last season a player like Mothobi Mvala got more minutes than a clearly deserving Geroge Maluleka.

The former Kaizer Chiefs star was reduced to a spectator for most of his stay at Chloorkop, and when he got the nod to play, he reminded everyone why he is rated highly. But what happened afterwards? He was dropped after match-winning displays in favour of a more lethargic Lebogang Maboe, who had just returned from injury.

Rhulani’s cooler-box stunt

Perhaps the biggest drama king of all is co-head coach Mokwena. Word has it that he was not entirely happy with the arrangement that his partner, Mngqithi, would have the prevalent voice whenever the duo could not reach a consensus.

However, he had no choice but to accept that because his loyalty to the club was still held together by wet cement. Mokwena turned his back against Downs in 2017 to pursue failed gigs at Orlando Pirates and Chippa United before returning three years later with the prodigal son tag.

Mokwena’s latest stunt is to prematurely walk into the dressing room before a referee blows his whistle for half-time or the end of the match. This, according to insiders, irks Mngqithi. He fingers Mokwena for a lack of professionalism and failure to control his emotions, which indirectly rubs off on the players.

Mnqgithi imposing silence

Mokwena appears to be the thorn in the flesh for Mngqithi, who allegedly does not appreciate his stunt of sitting on the cooler-box that is usually positioned in front of the substitutes. “Why does he have to sit there when coaches have designated seats?

ALSO READ: Ellis taking positives from Banyana’s humiliating defeats to Brazil

“When coach Pitso was still around, Mokwena would get up to give out instructions and sit down next to “Jingles”. That’s how it started when they took over, why is it changing now? It is disrespectful to his colleagues,” a source told Phakaaathi.

Meanwhile, Mngqithi has always cut a father figure and is a fairly quiet coach, which is something that has begun to create a bit of tension for the technical team. Mokwena has this ‘I’m in charge personality’, which annoys Mngqithi to the core.

Remember in 2018 when Bongani Zungu said Mokwena was the one who coached Mosimane’s team? Now that Zungu is back at the club, that perspective has raised its ugly head and it might not end well.