Following a jittery start to the season after being dumped out of the MTN8 Cup, former Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi believes the new Mamelodi Sundowns technical team is going to get things right as time goes by. 

Sundowns were booted out of the semi-finals of the Wafa Wafa tournament by Stellenbosch FC, with the Cape side emerging as 2-0 aggregate winners after beating them 1-0 over two legs. Their exit at the tournament saw their supporters questioning the appointments of their new head coach Manqoba Mngqithi and his technical team of senior coach Steve Komphela and assistant coach Romain Folz.  

Lekgwathi believes the Brazilian technical team has it in them to change things around at the club since they are still trying to instill their philosophy. But he reckons they should have just started slow in trying to bring a whole different play from how the team used to play under previous coach Rulani Mokwena.  

“The coach is still experimenting. They don’t want to continue from where Rulani left off because they don’t want Rulani to take the credit. Same as Rulani after Pitso left. He didn’t continue with some of the plans and players that Pitso Mosimane used often like Hlompho Kekana. They would rest Kekana, whereas he was still strong to play, but it was not only Kekana,” said the former Bucs defender.  

“And if you look at it, it is the same thing that is happening now. They want to start their own thing, but you don’t start like that. You continue with where the last coach left and change gradually, one or two players at a time, especially in cup competitions like the MTN8. The league is a marathon, but with Cup games, one game and you are out and that’s what happened.”  

Since their defeat to Stellies in the MTN8, Sundowns went to kickstart their Caf Champions League campaign on a high note after edging Mbabane Swallows 4-0 in the first leg of the second preliminary round away from home and followed that up by beating SuperSport United 2-0 in the Betway Premiership game on Tuesday.  

Mngqithi and company will be hoping for continuity when they welcome Swallows in the second leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday (18:00).  

Article by Tshepo Ntsoelengoe