A meeting is set between Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi and his outspoken Bafana Bafana counterpart Hugo Broos to address their public dispute and resolve player-related concerns.
Mngqithi and Broos will meet at Sundowns’ base in Chloorkop on Sunday [today], marking a significant step towards reconciliation between the two coaches.
Mngqithi emphasised the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with Bafana coach Broos, especially since several of his Sundowns players are key members of the national team squad.
The recent verbal exchange between Mngqithi and Broos centred around the playing time of Khuliso Mudau and Teboho Mokoena at Sundowns. Both players are key figures for both their club and the national team, but their limited minutes at the Tshwane giants had raised concerns for Broos.
In response to Broos’ criticism, Mngqithi urged the Belgian tactician to concentrate on his duties with the national team and avoid interfering in club affairs.
However, Mngqithi has since confirmed that he will meet with Broos to address the issues at hand and ensure the best interests of all parties involved.
MANQOBA MNGQITHI TO MEET HUGO BROOS TO END WAR OF WORDS
“With regards to coach Hugo Broos, my utterances and his utterances, we will be having a meeting tomorrow [on Sunday] at Chloorkop,” said Mngqithi after Sundowns’ dominant 5-0 victory over Golden Arrows in the Carling Knockout Cup at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night.
“So I think we will move forward and create a better environment because he’s got many of our players. We support the national team, and we support SAFA in general because even in the junior national teams, we’ve got a lot of players there.”
Broos, since his appointment as Bafana Bafana coach in 2021, has consistently sought to establish positive relationships with PSL coaches.
He believes that open communication and cooperation are essential for the success of the national team, ensuring that players receive adequate playing time and support at the club level.
“It is only proper for us as coaches or leaders of these institutions to try and find each other and be able to communicate about these things because is it only for the good,” added the Sundowns coach.
“You find that there are other players that he [Broos] may not have looked at closely, but when we communicate, and he gets to know what I feel about those individuals, it makes his life easy.
“I believe he’s got a big pool of players that he can get from our club, from [Orlando] Pirates, [Kaizer] Chiefs, SuperSport [United] and all these clubs, but without good relations between the coaches, it makes it very difficult to even assist where we think we can assist.”
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