Mamelodi Sundowns coach Mngqithi sends message to Bafana coach Broos over Mokoena: 'Manage your house, I'll manage mine'

Mamelodi Sundowns have played eight games across all competitions this season, but one player who has drawn attention from Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is Tebogo Mokoena.

Despite limited game time at Sundowns, Mokoena has delivered outstanding performances for the national team. During the recent international break, he scored a brace against Congo-Brazzaville in Gqeberha, justifying Broos' faith in him.

The Belgian coach even questioned why Mokoena isn’t getting more minutes at his club.

And now, in his pre-match press conference for the Carling Knockout Cup, Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has responded to Broos' remarks.

“He must manage his house and allow me manage my house,” he said on Thursday as reported by IDiski Times.

“Because nobody tells me who plays in this team. I cannot be expected to be told by another coach who to play in my team.

“The truth is we all know the quality of the players and they are going to help us. And we don’t have any problem with them. We resolved whatever minor issues we’ve had.

“But each man for his own family. We must take care of our own spaces. Nobody says anything when he plays eight defenders, we keep quiet because we respect him.

“I respect him, he has done very well for this country. Everybody is excited. But you must understand we have a responsibility to manage our whole squads just like he manages his whole squad.

“I don’t have much to say in that space. The best thing could ever happen is for him to call me or for us to have a call where will talk about our situation because I never say ‘why you select that player and don’t select that player’ and I don’t expect another coach to do that – maybe administrators.

“With the respect that I have for him, you’ll give me a call and we discuss this thing as coaches. No one is bigger than anyone else, we are both coaches.”

Manqoba Mngqithi has asserted his authority at Sundowns by balancing team performance and player management without outside interference, focusing on squad harmony amid a busy season.

On the other hand, Hugo Broos, driven by national team priorities, is frustrated by Teboho Mokoena’s limited game time, believing regular minutes at club level are crucial for Bafana Bafana’s success, especially with Afcon 2025 qualifiers not done and qualification not secured yet.

Meanwhile, the midfielder finds himself caught between club and country demands. Even though he performs well for the national team, inconsistent minutes at the Chloorkop side will ultimately impact his ability to maintain top form for a difficult Afcon qualifying campaign.

For Bafana Ba Style, the immediate focus is their Carling Knockout clash against Golden Arrows, where all eyes will be on whether coach Manqoba Mngqithi gives Teboho Mokoena valuable minutes.

With a packed schedule ahead, balancing squad rotation and performance will be key for Sundowns, especially with Themba Zwane out injured for the rest of the year.

For Bafana Bafana, the month-long break offers time to regroup before their crucial final Afcon qualifiers against Uganda away and South Sudan at home.

The big question remains: will Mokoena get consistent game time at Sundowns to keep him sharp for national duties? Both club and country will need him at his best to meet their respective goals.