Mngqithi says they are happy with Mbule's progress

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi says the technical team has been impressed by Sipho Mbule’s progress since joining the club.

The Bafana Bafana star was sold by SuperSport United to Masandawana for an undisclosed fee during the off-season.

This after the player apparently had a fallout with SuperSport United and was suspended for disrespecting the side’s technical team and teammates.

Mbule missed most of the second half of last season and was said to be out of shape.

After putting the ink on paper for Downs, Mbule worked on his fitness at Chloorkop while other players were on leave.

Mngqithi said they are pleased with the player’s progress and that of other players who have been nursing injuries, such as Erwin Saavedra and Rivaldo Coetzee.

“We are on a phase where we are working on match temperament and match readiness of the team and the sharpness of the players towards the beginning of the season,” Mngqithi said during the Mangosuthu Legacy Cup in Durban where Sundowns will play Richards Bay on July 23.

“For players coming from injuries, it’s also very important for them to gain and see that they can now compete in a very competitive match.

“We are hoping that at that time Saavedra will be in a good shape, Riva as well and all the other players we are bringing in will be in a position to help us,” the coach said.

“And we are happy with the progress Mbule has made. Physically he looks good, but we still have a lot of work to do with a lot of them.”

While the Premier Soccer League is yet to confirm the fixtures, the DStv Premiership will get under way on August 5.

Sundowns are the defending champions for the Premiership, MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.

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