Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are heading in the right direction in terms of recruitment, which benefits South African football as the league is not enjoyable with only one club ‘shining’, says a Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach.
The Soweto giants, Chiefs and Pirates have been struggling to keep the pace as Sundowns continue to pull further and further away, proving that they are streets ahead, clinching their fifth straight DStv Premiership most recently.
Sundowns’ dominance has seen pundits refer to the DStv Premiership as a ‘farmers league’, a term used by fans to describe a league deemed not competitive.
However, Manqoba Mngqithi believes Chiefs and Pirates are getting close to matching Sundowns’ quality.
“To be honest, football will not be the same without Pirates and Chiefs being as strong as they used to be. I still believe, even this season, the recruitments made by both teams prove that they are edging closer to making sure that they give us fierce competition,” said Mngqithi in the latest edition of Soccer Laduma.
“The fact that Pirates is in the final of the CAF Confederation Cup is also proof that they are still a very solid team that has the capacity to unsettle any opposition. It is not proper for South Africa to only have Sundowns shining, but at this stage, I do not want to even think we are close to dominating local football.
“We can’t be complacent and start thinking we are the most successful team because these two teams have done very well. Football is a game of cycles, and maybe now the circumstances are favouring us, and we must grab the opportunity with both hands and make sure that we move on and don’t look back.
“I can guarantee you, both Pirates and Chiefs will be back one day, and you don’t want that to affect you.”
In this week's edition of Soccer Laduma, Mngqithi opens up on:
- Working relationship with Steve Komphela and Rulani Mokwena
- Silencing naysayers
- Chiefs and Pirates edging closer to Sundowns
Get the latest edition of Soccer Laduma, edition 1274, available in stores online now!
