Ahead of their MTN8 final showdown against Orlando Pirates, senior coach Manqoba Mngqithi has revealed what sets Mamelodi Sundowns head coach apart from his peers.
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A lot has been said about their relationship; however, it is one that has been yielding results and will be looking to continue that when they take on the Buccaneers in search of silverware this weekend.
In a reversal of roles, Mngqithi, as he had so often done in the past, faced the media ahead of Saturday's clash at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
He was asked about his assessment of Mokwena, the man who replaced him in the Downs hot seat in September last year following a string of disappointing performances and he was full of praise for his colleague.
"Sundowns as a team is a high-performance environment. We have developed a culture, the ethics and the principles of the game that we have attached to. Fortunately, we don't have to change too much in terms of how we play, any coach that comes in, we are within the same framework.
"He is one of the young up and coming coaches who is very talented, very detailed and works very hard, and those are some of the strengths that he brings into the game. [He's got] fresh ideas, and [it's a] big challenge as a coach and a very good work ethic. I think that is what carries him, and it is what will carry the club forward," Mngqithi told journalists.
Mokwena will be hoping to couple his early season dominance with a trophy, while his counterpart Jose Riveiro will be hoping to defend the first title he won since making the move to South Africa.
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