Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe has explained the club’s decision to sack head coach Manqoba Mngqithi and goalkeeper coach Wendell Robinson despite being top of the Betway Premiership.
Masandawana confirmed the firing of the club’s two long-serving employees alongside French-born assistant coach Romain Folz on Tuesday.
The former AmaZulu FC and Marumo Gallants mentor, Folz, was roped in by Mngqithi at the beginning of the current season.
Mngqithi has since been replaced by Portuguese-born mentor Miguel Cardoso, who led Tunisian giants Esperance to the Caf Champions League final last season and Fifa Club World Cup qualification.
Responding to questions by media during a press conference at the club’s headquarters in Chloorkop, the young chairman said the board and Motsepe family felt the club was not moving in the right direction under the stewardship of Mngqithi and Robinson.
“We must maybe go back to the start of the season and the truth is we wanted to make sure that we gave this coaching team, led by coach Manqoba and Wendell, the opportunity to start the season and see what they could do with the current crop of players,” Motsepe said.
“There’s a history that they have with the football club, and they understood a lot about the team and the players.
“But as I said before, we also have a commitment as a family to develop African and South African coaches.
“So, when the opportunity came at the start of the season to hire a different coach to try this project again, we understood what we had and who we were with, and we wanted to give them a chance.
“Subsequently, the season started and as I mentioned before, the team wasn’t reaching the heights that we had hoped for and that the board had expected,” he said.
At the start of the season, Sundowns were knocked out of the MTN8 quarterfinals by Stellenbosch FC and lost the Carling Knockout final against Premiership rookies Magesi FC.
Sundowns start in the group stages wasn’t inspiring as they drew their two opening matches against AS Maniema Union and AS FAR at the weekend.
“Rather than let matters deteriorate and maybe even have two coaches who were really well loved and still are by our supporters and by our club, we decided let’s stop now,” Motsepe said.
“They have a wonderful history with the club, and we decided also to make sure this change happens so that we can position ourselves as we close this year to be in a stronger position looking forward to 2025 and onwards.”
Steve Komphela, senior coach, and goalkeeper coach Kennedy Mweene survived the board and Motsepe family’s wielding axe and will work under Cardoso.
Motsepe is convinced Cardoso is the right man to lead the club to the dizzy heights the management is yearning for.
“He has a long history of being with very good football clubs,” Motsepe said.
“He has travelled across the world, and he has learnt so much throughout his journey, his experience has been proven by how he took Esperance to the Champions League final last season.
“He is also a person, like he said, we have had discussions previously prior to his arrival at the football club.
“He said it, he is a man for the people, he is a man who wants to relate with players and connect hearts and bodies and that’s very exciting for us because we see ourselves as a football club that is very ambitious and aspirational.
“The players that are part of our teams have dreams, and they all want to be the best possible players they can be.
“We believe that with coach Miguel, he will unlock that ability, and we will see the best of the team in the coming months.”
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says people must NOT judge him just by looking at his CV.
— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) December 10, 2024
WATCH part of his interview ➡️➡️➡️https://t.co/XgSheeaSYo pic.twitter.com/9N39GIfG0w
