Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi does not approve of showboating ahead of Carling Knockout final - 'I can substitute you immediately'

Mamelodi Sundowns are just three days away from facing Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout final—a golden opportunity for the Brazilians to claim their first major trophy of the season.

Sundowns last lifted this cup in 2019 after defeating Maritzburg United. However, the Limpopo-based underdogs have a coach who previously masterminded a victory against Sundowns in this very competition.

Speaking to the media, coach Manqoba Mngqithi emphasised the importance of finishing off opponents decisively, reminding everyone that "opponents are not enemies."

He also shared his thoughts on showboating, stating that it doesn't excite him as much as the ball hitting the back of the net.

“It requires a very big paradigm shift because in our in our society, we have accepted that after we have taken a lead, probably it’s an opportunity for showboating and doing all these tricks, and it’s acceptable in the society,” he said in his pre-match press conference for the Carling Knockout final as reported by iDiski Times.

“Everybody thinks you have done enough when you have won the match, and you have also had some nice tricks and made fools of the opponents.

“But personally, I regard opponents as opponents and as not as enemies. And as an opponent, I always believe you want to beat your opposition, so that next time he knows who are you – not as an enemy, but as an opponent.

“No, I don’t want to make a laughing stock of you. You will see most of my players, they hardly do all these tricks after we’ve taken a lead because I can substitute you immediately.

“Because for me, what excites me is to see the ball touching the net. I like that, and I’ve always been like that from time in memorial.

“I think the reason why I became a football coach is because I want to influence a team to try and create a lot of scoring opportunities and score a lot of goals, and I get excited when a game has got a lot of goals – no matter how good the game can be, sometimes, because I’ve been in football for so many years, where you can dominate the game and look so good, everybody’s excited you were leading 1-0 and in the last minute, the opponent scores. It’s 1-1, and then what?

“So, for me, goals are the determining factor on the result, and thus we should be targeting to make sure that we play to score as many goals. And if we say we are better than the opponent, it’s because we can score more than them.

“I don’t think possession is enough without creating a lot of scoring opportunities, because when you look at that possession, sometimes it’s in all the wrong areas. You’ve had so much possession because the opponents were sitting deep and you were playing in front of them and enjoying all the time, having as many passes in front of them. But that does not mean you managed to break down their strategy that they had brought up to make sure that they don’t concede a lot of goals.

“And then as a coach, you must say, ‘what did I bring to try and make sure that even when they were trying to put a low block or whatever, I still managed to force my way and score as many goals as possible.”

Since taking charge, Mngqithi has built a free-flowing, high-scoring team.

The former Golden Arrows mentor remains clear on what excites him most—seeing the ball hit the back of the net rather than flashy footwork.

For Sundowns, the Carling Knockout final against Magesi FC will be a golden opportunity to secure much-needed silverware to get their season underway properly.

The focus now shifts to reintegrating the eight players returning from international duty as they look to prepare for the final.

Mngqithi will likely fine-tune his strategy to ensure Sundowns handle the pressure of being favourites.

The Brazilians will also need to address any defensive vulnerabilities to prevent an upset from the underdog side.

Beyond the final, Sundowns will focus back on the league and continental competitions, keeping their momentum alive.