Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has responded to Gavin Hunt’s remarks suggesting that Masandawana’s financial muscle has weakened the Premier Soccer League.
Hunt said Sundowns is even strong on the bench and their financial firepower would make Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates “struggle to compete against them.”
But Mngqithi has responded to the SuperSport United coach, who struggled at Chiefs although he argues he was not given enough time at Naturena.
“I would have the same question about when he [Hunt] was at Wits. The club signed many players and he won the league,” said Mngqithi as per Sowetan Live.
“Were they killing the league? The truth of the matter is if you check that season when Wits won the league [in 2016-17], Gavin signed a lot of quality players and did very well. That, for me, was very positive.
“And to say Sundowns must walk [the title] and win every match because they are signing quality players... Sundowns have been signing quality players throughout the years.
“Even before I was here, even before the president [Patrice Motsepe] owned this club they signed top players - the Zola Mahobes and others [previous owners] before.
“I don't think it's always about the amount of money you splash to build a team. A team can be built with players from the PSL who are not expensive if you have a good eye [for what] you want for your team.
“And a lot of teams are doing well in that space. Look at Stellenbosch - they have not signed big-name players, but very soon their players will be wanted by big clubs in the PSL. Because they are good, because their youth programme is yielding results.”
Mngqithi said any coach who suggests that Sundowns are weakening the PSL should be fired because they are not doing their job to match the Brazilians.
“I don’t even listen to these things because I am not on social media and I am not interested in what somebody thinks because in most cases they can sell you a dummy,” Mngqithi added.
“You will think you are bigger than you are, yet you [Sundowns] lost to TS Galaxy and drew with Sekhukhune United [this season]. Any coach who says we will walk to the title, maybe he is the one who must lose his job because he should work very hard to make this thing difficult.
“If I were coaching a smaller team, I would always want to beat Sundowns because I want to show them I am a capable coach, rather than to work as a marketing manager for Sundowns.”
Hunt will face Sundowns again on Friday in a league match, five days after SuperSport lost 2-0 to Masandawana in the MTN8.