After thirteen matches played in the DStv Premiership and Mamelodi Sundowns are still at the summit with twenty-seven points accumulated and no loss recorded. Masandawana were involved in another top of the table clash against Swallows FC who have the same number of points but an inferior goal difference. The tightly contested clash at Lucas Moripe Stadium ended in a one- all draw.
Coach Manqoba Mngqithi shared his thoughts on the encounter and said that “We started the game very well with a high press and we wanted to press them from the back and that is where the goal came from. We did a lot of good work in the first half where we made sure that we we did not give them time and that gave us a more dominant first half. In the second half, we were dragged because they were playing more long ball and we had to make changes like Pitso to try and close down Vuyo Mere and close down Lebo Mokoena with Vilakazi and that worked tremendously well, but unfortunately, they kept pumping the balls forward and we knew they will get the fouls and set pieces and we were punished from that”.
It took the visitors the last kick of the game to get something out of the game when Musa Nyatama headed the ball from a rebound after Denis Onyango had made a good save from the set-piece.
“The equaliser was a sucker punch, those last five minutes our players lost character, started kicking the balls out and not playing even when they had options around them and resulted in the foul. The truth of the matter is it felt bad in a game where you think you did everything in your power to get the result and it was at the death of the game where we conceded that silly goal”, said Coach Manqoba Mngqithi.
Vele it will be a sucker punch. You guys invited it and it’s even worse, personally for me
Wisemen you should thank the Govt for banning us to attend games if it wasn’t that by this time of the month all three of you would have know us the supporters by now.
This players are on comfort zone I wonder whether you are afraid of them or not.Downs have plenty of players but you put Zwane on striking position instead of him behind the strikers and I don’t know why you sat with Motupa the whole game and not putting him pls once again don’t make us to hate Maboe because the poor boy doesn’t field himself,everyone sees that Maboe is not giving us anything except one game last season where he scored a hatrick that’s the only game he played seriously not being casual like he normal do.
Some of us were very happy when our President appointed you pls don’t make us to regret that as some of our fellow supporters cry for Pitso to come back.If We utilized all chances we got yesterday especially that ball who Maboe ballooned over crossbar we shouldn’t have cry about that goal of Swallows whether its an offside or not.Hope those who are sick or on quarantine will be available in our next game,Kby forever
Manqoba Mngqithi someone must tell u the truth that was a deliberately constituted draw from the bench.We thought that favouritism was a virus associated with Pitso but alas you walking on the same path where Maboe can run like a headless chicken &finish the game 4 no apparent reason.Hlompho Kekana was the only proven defensive player that was on the field&none on the bench 2 replace him with but u chose to substitute him anyway,&u paid the price.Maboe carelessly fluffed 2 chances&he saw no reason to care bcoz against Leopards he will finish the game as usual.Vilakazi is not matchfit&even fit cannot tackle anyone&Maluleke conceded a free kick bcoz Vilakazi failed to mark the opponent.Yuo forget Mngqithi that u can be the only one fired once Motsepe decide to sacrifice someone&replace u with those assistants of yours,don’t waist your opportunity by experimenting lousy combinations that will cost your job.Be warned Mngqithi,we can’t be boasting with an unbeaten run whereas we have draws that r as equal to our wins.I mean really Manqoba u r too weak 4 my liking,stamp your authority now&make bold decisions that r coming from ur head.
Cha that injury that Affonso sustained must be one hell of an injury, I’ve never heard of a player that needs this much time to recover
I respect other people’ s views regarding Maboe , however i feel we are too harsh on the boy, the boy is not playing as a striker or false nine if you like,like in his first season at sundowns, he now does the dirty work in the middle and support the strikers ,instead we should commend him for the up and down, getting into scoring positions.He is one of the players that fight hard in that midfield and we don’t expect him to score goals like we do with strikers.The sooner we understand his role the better.I still want his combo with Jali and River which has made our strikers good before these draws.If anything let us blame the strikers
Sane comment member, I fully support your views, am not saying the coaches are always right, but the boy works amazingly hard, he does what many don’t see. As for scoring he lacks confidence, but it’s unfair to persecute him like this, he needs support.
Ayanda,I concur with you about Moboe,he is the link between midfield and attackers,and he does that very well,his hard work propel him to be in the box.When we attack you see him and also when we defend he’s always there.My advice to is to work extra on finishing,and that’s where clever coaches should come in.Manqoba should stamp his authority bcoz it’s difficult to find a new job under this COVID-19 situation.I agree with those who are saying players are on comfort zone,players like Denis,he takes long to release the ball and when he does he kicks it out of the pitch.It is high time we play Goss and don’t only play our development boys when we are losing,Makgalwa won us many games last season,have the guts to play those boys,look at Man U’s Greenwood,Arsenal’Saka,Man City’ Foden they are younger than Mkhulise,Mkhuma and Makgalwa yet they play regularly in the big league and they are not given 2 minutes,even Pirates played an eighteen year old boy over the weekend.Cowards don’t succeed in football and fortune favors the brave.AMEN
Indeed we need the Makgalwas, etc to bring fresh legs and more pace up front especially when Shalulile is not there.
@Ayanda Maboe is supposed to make da team play instead of da “dirty work” that u apparently c him doing,there r players who r fielded to do that dirty work for him(Kekana,Maluleke n Mvala in da previous matches),if he is doing the dirty work then it means he clearly doesnt understand wat is expected of him in dat position,which means he mst step aside n let players who understand dat position better to play,players like Mkhulise,Magerman n Zwane.
Chief i respect your views however Maboe does make the team play and create scoring opportunities but the strikers are not converting ,at He is a 90 minute player than some of the names you metioned.
I meant to say at least he is a 90 minute player.
After I’m just listened to Manqoba at Metro fm now I can say I’m eating a humble pie.
Dawanas this virus we call Covid 19 is very dangerous and what I didn’t know is that they are being tested almost every four days because they are competing in Caf together with Chiefs and Bucs and you can’t lie about the results.
No coaches on their right minds can change a winning combination what I’m hoping for is for those players to complete their ten days on quarantine and I hope that virus will not come back again to them as I was told once you got infected it never comes back but I stand to be corrected, once again thanks Mr Mngqithi for sharing all that to us,Kby forever
I’m still to be convinced by this coach of ours. We are playing un attractive football to start with.
I fully agree with a member Jali, Maboe and Coetze combination is the best in the field.
Coach pls don’t make us to hate you.
Guys it is too early to press a panic button. Our coaches are still doing a great job. Let keep on motivating them, then results will surely come.
Good day coaches Sundowns FC has its Identity which is dying out we are playing court something that I do not know, please help what is these?