Mngqithi Hits Back At Hunt Criticism

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has hit back at criticism by Gavin Hunt, who had suggested the league is becoming imbalanced due to Masandawana’s spending power.

Downs will face SuperSport United for a second successive Tshwane Derby in the DStv Premiership on Friday night after beating them 2-0 in the MTN8 quarter-final on Sunday.

Around the MTN8 clash, Hunt made several comments about Sundowns’ squad strength and spending power, insisting not even Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates can keep up.

However, Mngqithi insisted the four-time Premier Soccer League winner should rather focus on his own team than becoming a “marketing manager” for Sundowns.

“I don’t even listen to these things because I’m not even on these social media things,” he said on Thursday.

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“I’m not interested in what somebody thinks because in most cases they’ll sell you a dummy, you’ll think you’re bigger than you are.

“Yet, you have lost against TS Galaxy and drawn against Sekhukhune, so who do you think you are?

“Any coach that would say ‘we will walk [the league], maybe he’s the one who should lose his job because he should work very hard to make this thing difficult.

“If I was coaching a smaller team, I’d always want to beat Sundowns because I want to show what I’m also capable of as a coach,  [rather] than to now work as a marketing manager of Sundowns and yet I’m a coach of another team.

“So personally I would do that and that is what I’ve probably done in the past to make sure that I beat these big teams. Because anybody can do it, it’s not like Sundowns is invincible.”

Downs will face SSU at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium at 19:30.