Mngqithi: I Built Sundowns’ “Monster” Attack

Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi has openly declared his instrumental role in shaping Mamelodi Sundowns into the attacking “monster” that became the first PSL team to surpass 100 goals this season.

Now, he’s applying that same tactical blueprint to his current club, Arrows, in their fight against PSL relegation.

Mngqithi, who was dismissed by Sundowns in December [2024] and replaced by Miguel Cardoso, is currently battling to save Arrows from relegation.

However, he has unequivocally stated that “Abafana Bes’Thende” will not be relegated this season, and if they are, he will not shy away from accountability.

Mngqithi emphasized that at the start of the season with Sundowns, he stressed that they should not be overly concerned with ball possession as the players had embraced that idea. What was lacking, he noted, was a killer instinct to convert chances.

As Sundowns secured the Betway Premiership title, they became the first side to score 65 league goals, even though they played two fewer matches after Royal AM’s PSL membership was terminated, and their games, points accumulated, and points taken from them were expunged by the PSL.

They are also in the final of the CAF Champions League and will face Egyptian side Pyramids this coming weekend, with the second leg scheduled for the following weekend.

“The process is always working and improving the team because when I look at Angelo van Rooi on Saturday, I’m seeing a huge difference from the Van Rooi that I found when I came here,” said Mngqithi.

“Because he can have better ball retention, he makes more intelligent passes, he is hardly in an offside position, and those are the things that he was not doing in the past. Now we have to try and fight a little bit harder to get him in areas where he can decide matches because he has got the mentality to shoot. But when he gets to the final third and drifts away from the target, then he is going to give you a cross, he is going to give you a cutback.

“But the truth is, with the time that one has had, not all these things can happen. But believe you me, this is a team that we are in this position now in terms of chance creation and the shots at goals. In the same season, I was in another team, we were also dominating possession but not creating chances. It was not scoring many goals, and I said from the beginning of the season that this season I’m trying to build a team that can manufacture chances, and from that work, one season, probably after 15 seasons, the team has managed to score 100 goals in a season, which is something we were far away from considering where we are coming from the previous seasons.

“I said from the beginning that possession sometimes is overrated, and we must improve getting into the final third, manufacturing chances to score goals, and the same has improved tremendously.

“Now I have got probably the same problem I had when I started on the other side where possession was no longer an issue, getting into the final third was no longer an issue. But now how do you then manufacture chance after chance and try to have more people a little bit decisive in just taking a shot? If as a coach I must shout and tell a player to take a shot, then what are we doing?”

As Mngqithi outlined his defensive approach to his job at Arrows, he stated that he does not believe the club is in a relegation dogfight.

Arrows are currently in 13th place with 27 points after [number of] matches, one point ahead of 14th-placed SuperSport United and 15th-placed Cape Town City, who occupy the PSL relegation/promotion playoff spot. City has one game remaining, while SuperSport and Arrows have two games to play, meaning everything is in their hands.

If City wins this coming weekend and SuperSport and Arrows lose, the Cape Town club will leapfrog them, leaving the latter two to fight for the playoff spot.

“The relegation for me is not something I’m worried about,” said Mngqithi. “I have said this, and I always believe that we are a little bit far away from relegation if you consider that potentially we have two matches.”

Arrows’ abandoned match against SuperSport at Lucas Moripe Stadium, which was supposed to mark a significant day for Gavin Hunt in becoming the first coach to be in charge of 1000 matches, was eventually fully played.

It had been abandoned due to a power failure. Arrows announced on Thursday that the game would be replayed at some point, with only the second half of that game being played after it was stopped due to the power failure. Mngqithi appears to be counting on gaining something from that game.

“That already says to you, with two matches, one of them against SuperSport, if it’s a replay, we will have to fight for another day,” continued Mngqithi, whose side has not won in seven matches.

“But also, if we get the three points there, it puts us in a position that will be very interesting. I’m not worried [about relegation]; I do feel the only thing that I’m unhappy about is just my team not pitching at the right level.

“Because, unfortunately, we lost some players when the team was in the right spaces, just before the Marumo Gallants’ game. I think that’s where we started to drop after losing Themba Matshinyane, after losing players that had an influence in our performances, and that for me was the biggest setback.

“Fortunately, we got some players that have done well, and I have been particularly impressed by Ayanda Jiyane. I think he is probably one of the best players that we have acquired, and we have improved in many aspects.”

Mngqithi added, “Arrows will not be relegated, and when the opposite happens, I will be here to answer.”