Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has set the record straight on the club’s coaching structure ahead of the new season.
Sundowns kick off their 2024 MTN8 campaign with a clash against Polokwane City FC on Sunday at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Following the departure of head coach Rulani Mokwena, the club never explicitly said who would replace him. Instead, they brought in Steve Komphela and Romain Folz.
The statement welcoming Komphela back to the club said he would serve as “Senior Coach and will assist Manqoba Mngqithi and the Technical Team”.
When announcing Folz’s arrival, the club said he had been appointed “as an assistant coach in the first team and joins Manqoba Mngqithi, Steve Komphela, Wendell Robinson, and Kennedy Mweene in the Technical Department.”
The Brazilians’ handling of the situation fuelled speculation about who was truly in charge of the technical team. However, Mngqithi has put any confusion to bed after explaining the club’s coaching structure. He reaffirmed that Komphela and Folz are there to assist him as the senior coach.
WHAT MANQOBA MNGQITHI SAID ABOUT SUNDOWNS’ COACHING STRUCTURE
“I think we’re confusing ourselves,” Mngqithi told MSW. “The media statement was clear when Coach Steve was brought back that he’s coming to assist me as the senior coach. Romain also comes in as an assistant, operating a little bit below Coach Steve.
“If Coach Steve was coming to assist me, there’s no other coach beyond me at the moment,” he clarified. “I’m the one who’s leading the team.”
Mngqithi further asserted his authority by highlighting his role in recommending Folz for the position, emphasising that he leads the technical team. “
How do I recommend Romain if I’m not leading the technical team at that point and time? Because somebody else must bring the coaches that he thinks will make his job easier?”
Regarding the title of head coach, Mngqithi acknowledged the inherent pressure in football.
“Any head coach has another coach waiting to take over. If we don’t do well, the expectation is that somebody must come and take over. If we do well, nobody will take over,” he said.
He also referred to the previous co-coaching arrangement, stating that the decision-making authority was clear even then. “Even at the time of the co-coaching, it was clear from the beginning as to who had the final decision,” Mngqithi concluded.
This clarification puts to rest any doubts about the coaching hierarchy at Sundowns, reaffirming Mngqithi’s position as the leader of the technical team.
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