No complacency at Sundowns, insists Mngqithi

It is very easy for a team like Mamelodi Sundowns to become complacent, especially after they chiseled out a win against defending Caf Champions League champions Al-Ahly over the past weekend.

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Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi, however, says if there is one thing he won’t tolerate in his camp, it is to have his players growing big heads and running the risk of undermining opponents, especially in the DStv Premiership.

The Brazilians lead second-placed Royal AM by 15 points, but they have a game in hand over the KwaZulu-Natal side.

“The win against Al-Ahly raised our spirits because we had not played our best football in the last few matches but now to get a big one like this against Ahly, everybody is now hyped up and looking forward to continue where we ended,” said Mngqithi.  

“We have embraced a culture as a club that makes us want to win every match that we play and that culture is visible in friendly matches because we give the same intensity and same will power to perform. As coaches, we have to be very close to the players and make them understand that these milestones, as small as they are, such as beating Al-Ahly and finding ourselves in a comfortable space in the league, do not mean anything when you have not won any trophy.

“It is very important that they focus all of their attention on the remaining matches that we have to play,” he added.

Sundowns are back in domestic action today (Wednesday) and they will face a seemingly rejuvenated TS Galaxy side in Mbombela.

Given The Rockets’ gradual rise from the ashes of relegation, Mngqithi believes that Sead Ramovic side will give them a run for their money.

“As it is in the league, every match is going to be like a cup final and everybody must understand that we have a responsibility to the brand and to our supporters to make sure that we are not just satisfied by one win. We have to fight hard to make sure that we continue to get positive results in the match,” said Mngqithi.

The Downs mentor added: “TS Galaxy have improved in leaps and bounds ever since Ramovic joined the club, they play some enterprising football. We have seen them in the previous games that they played and we are looking at them very closely but we believe that we have the capacity to unsettle them but we know very well that we are not going to be playing pushovers. They are a team that is well-trained and I am looking forward to a good game of football because our style of play is similar.”