Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes they have obtained their primary objective which was to win and advance to the next round of the Nedbank Cup.
Read: Tau Sends 'Downs Into Nedbank Cup Last 16
Without the presence of head coach Pitso Mosimane, Mamelodi Sundowns secured a safe passage in the Nedbank Cup last 16 at the Athlone Stadium on Friday.
A late second-half goal from Percy Tau was the difference on a rainy Cape Town evening against outgoing NFD side Cape Town All Stars.
“We’re playing against a very good team. If we came here with emotions and rushed, we were going to be punished. So it was always important to manage the game, drag it a little bit longer.
“We knew their legs would tire, keep possession of the ball which in many instances we lost cheaply. Honestly speaking, credit must go to their coach. They have assembled a very good team.
“The football they play is structurally very correct. But I believe we gave them too much space in the first half, but all we wanted to do was to win and that’s what we managed to do,” Mngqithi told SuperSport after the game.
The number of chances they spurned left a lot to be desired, but they are happy with the shift put in by the fringe players like Thokozani Sekotlong and George Lebese.
“We are happy with the players we brought in. Gaston showed his class, unfortunate not to score in a one-on-one situation. Sekotlong came in and created good space for Percy which he should have buried.
“Lebese came on late and did well. The rest managed the game well, but in converting the chances we created we didn’t do well.
“That’s the one area I’m not excited about because we got some clear-cut chances in the first half from Themba Zwane and Percy. Those were clear-cut chances that we should have buried,” he said.
