Coach Manqoba has stated that his biggest dream at this point is to lift the CAF Champions League silverware as a coach. This was hinted at the CAFCL press conference on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the return leg of the second preliminary round against Eswatini-based side, Mbabane Swallows.
Masandawana completed the first leg assignment with a 4-0 victory, which they were able to win in their backyard, despite being the visitors on the day.
Looking ahead of the Saturday night fixture which will take place at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, coach Manqoba said his side made the best of the two days they had to prepare for the match. He further said despite the positive results they had in the first leg, he still thinks their opponent will put a fight on Saturday.
“There’s not much I can say honestly about the preparations to be honest because we only had Thursday and Friday to prepare for the match. Fortunately, we are playing against a team that we have played already,” he stated.
“A team that I still maintain is very dangerous, especially if we take them for granted. They are a team that is very dangerous on transition and set pieces. We may have been able to nullify them in the first match but this one is scary because it’s all or nothing now. They will give everything and throw the kitchen sink just to try to salvage a bit of pride and that makes it a very difficult contest for us. I believe the group we have understands what is expected of them and I’m sure they will deliver,” he continued.
Coach Manqoba has hinted that winning the Champions League as a coach is still one of his dreams and is positive that Bafana Ba Style can achieve that with him in this campaign of the competition. He said: “When I started coaching, I always wanted to win and I wanted to replicate my name as many times as I could. That definition of who I view myself has always driven me to want to win every match that I play.”
“When I got to Mamelodi Sundowns, I wanted to be a part of a team that would win the championship. One has been fortunate to have won probably nine championships. Once I won one championship, my desires moved to the Champions League and fortunately, we won the Champions League. Currently, my biggest ambition as a coach is to win the Champions League and I will give everything I have to win it. I am very optimistic that we’ve got a realistic chance,” he assuredly concluded.
Mamelodi Sundowns will do host Mbabane Swallows FC on Saturday evening at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Kick has been set for 18H00.
