Defiant Mngqithi insists Sundowns are headed in the right direction

Once again this season, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi finds himself under immense pressure after his team's shock 2-1 to Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout final, but he is adamant they are moving in the right direction. 

Defeat for Magesi means the Brazilians have lost the last three cup finals they have participated in and pressure is mounting as the last time they won a domestic cup trophy was the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup in the 2021-22 season. 

Even though they have been utterly dominant in the Premiership with seven titles in succession, Pirates lost to Pirates in the MTN8 and Nedbank cup finals last season and now they have lost to Magesi Downs who have made history for themselves.

Magesi, promoted at the end of last season, joined the likes of TS Galaxy and Baroka who were unfancied and ranked as outsiders against fancied teams but rose to the occasion to win major cup competitions in recent times.

Sundowns arrived in Bloemfontein as overwhelming favourites but Magesi turned the tables as coach Clinton Larsen came back to haunt Sundowns by beating them for the second time in a cup final. The first was a 1-0 win with Bloemfontein Celtic at Moses Mabhida Stadium in 2012.

“If you choose to become a coach, you must expect that in this space our jobs are always under scrutiny every week because we have to deliver,” said Mngqithi after the match. 

“It's unlike a CEO of a company who has come at the end of the financial year [and deliver a report]. With us football coaches, it is always going to be where are we going, are we going in the right or wrong direction? 

“And I am still optimistic that we are going in the right direction.” 

Mngqithi said he could not put his finger on why Downs have struggled to win cup finals over the past few seasons. 

“We have gone into that spell where things are not going our way in cup matches and you really cannot put a finger on it. I remember even in the game against Pirates, we were on 70/30 in terms of ball possession and we had a lot of shots at goal. 

“We did everything right against them and unfortunately during the later stages of the game they created a goal out of nothing and we lost a final. In the MTN8, we also did very well there and I wouldn’t blame anything on the team. 

“In football you must know that sometimes you win or lose. It is unfortunate that in a competition where you have scored 12 goals in four matches and only conceded two you lose in the final. 

“That is the most sore point. I won the MTN8 with Golden Arrows and I think we scored 11 goals and conceded one. This time around we have scored 12 and conceded two, but we are out without a cup.

“For me that was a good return but unfortunately when it mattered the most, that's when we let it go.”