Manqoba Mngqithi has left his naysayers with egg on their faces as Mamelodi Sundowns have dusted themselves off from a slow start this season to reach the Carling Knockout final. Picture: Samuel Shivambu, BackpagePix
Some names do not allow their owners to slacken. Take Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi, whose name means “conqueror”.
Mngqithi has been in football circles for decades, dating back from his school-teaching days to his biggest break at Sundowns this season.
Yet for all that he’s come across in his longevity and successful career, which include winning multiple titles at Sundowns, there are two things he loves in football.
“The truth is I think I have failed a lot in many things in my life, and the reason I failed is because I have one drive – and that has made me not have a balanced lifestyle,” Mngqithi said in the build-up to Saturday’s Carling Knockout Cup final against Magesi FC in Bloemfontein (6pm kick-off).
“I am one person who likes winning, and I thought winning is everything. I always want to put myself on the podium and win as much as I can.
“Possibly, to a certain extent, (I also) want to follow my name. They are a driving force as well. I want to conquer as much as I can. I like it when I conquer, and when I am not feared.
“That means I will continuously conquer. But more than anything else, there are things I love, and one of them is winning, and the second thing is goals.”
Mngqithi is yet to individually conquer at the Brazilians, especially having started the first part of his tenure under severe scrutiny from the football masses and the Yellow Nation.
The 53-year-old may have been seen as someone not cut out to be a head coach for the Brazilians as he chose to serve as a co-coach with Rulani Mokwena when Pitso Mosimane left the club in 2020, instead of taking the main role.
He was ‘behind the scenes’ even more as Mokwena was promoted as the sole head coach in the last two seasons, leaving Mngqithi to be deployed in an assistant role.
And having seen Mokwena use his time at the helm to worm his way into the hearts of the locals due to his style of play and ambitions, his sacking was criticised.
Enter Mngqithi. He was an unpopular figure for the hot seat from the onset, with many believing he doesn’t have what it takes to steer a ship of Sundowns’ calibre, despite his experience.
He has since left his naysayers with egg on their faces as Sundowns have dusted themselves off from a slow start this season to being a force to be reckoned with.
Sure, they are three points behind the league toppers Orlando Pirates, but they are in the Carling Knockout final against Magesi at the Free State Stadium on Saturday.
And considering his football values, you can bet on Mngqithi to encourage his troops to put the newbies to the sword, instead of “controlling the game with possession” after a lead as he aims to “conquer” his first silverware as Sundowns’ lone head coach.
“Personally, I regard opponents as opponents, not as enemies. I believe that you want to beat your opponent, so that next time they know who you are,” Mngqithi said.
“I don’t want to make a laughing stock of the opponent. You’ll hardly see my players make these tricks after we’ve taken a lead, because I can substitute them immediately.
“What excites me is to see the ball touching the net. I like that. And I’ve always been like that in my coaching career.
“I became a football coach because I want to influence the team to score a lot of goals. I get excited when the match that’s being played has a lot of goals.”
Even though they’ve made great strides, there’s still some outside noise that believes the current Sundowns still lack a bite and being feared before they even take to the field of play.
But Mngqithi is not worried about his naysayers, let alone being feared – although he’s warned Magesi not to undermine a team that has scored 11 unanswered goals en route to the final.
“Personally, I wouldn’t want to be feared before the fight – that’s how I am,” the Umzimkhulu-born coach explained.
“You know, when you are fighting a coward who is already scared of you, he’ll give you the biggest left poke you’ve ever seen because he doesn’t want a comeback.
“So, when people don’t fear you, I think that’s better for me because it means they would not put out all the stops to try and stop you.
“But if you are not scared of a team that’s capable of scoring 11 goals in 11 matches, then that’s something that is wrong with you.”