Mamelodi Sundowns tactician Rhulani Mokwena has questioned the statements made by Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi, who claimed the newly crowned Premier Soccer League champions sign 'ready made' players and it is one of the reasons why they have dominated the local scene.
The vocal Pirates head was quoted saying this after their Wednesday's goalless draw with Chippa United, whilst praising Masandawana for the depth in their squad as opposed to his team that has been nursing injuries.
However, his sentiments were not taken kindly by Mokwena, who felt his opponent lacked consistency in his statements.
"I’m not going to respond to what coach [Ncikazi] said because a couple of weeks ago... he said Pirates are in the same space as Sundowns and then a couple of weeks later it’s Woolworths and Shoprite," Mokwena told reporters.
"I don’t want to go there out of respect because you guys should be the ones questioning the consistency with the answers. It’s for the media, because what we say as coaches is very important in educating the supporters in trying to paint a picture closer to realism than obscurity.
"But if you ask what is it we’ve done, five championships in a row – you speak of different coaches with those five championships. You can’t go into that space without considering the hard work that was done by the previous technical team under the previous leadership.
"You speak of a different group of players because there are ones who won the first championship before it became the fifth in a row.
"Therefore, also without appreciating their contribution and hard work to where this club is and the brand that we see today, the respect the jersey now upholds and the pressure this current generation has to play under, is because of the previous generation and they have to be recognised for their contributions."
Mokwena went on to laud the Brazilians' management for helping the team reach the heights they are enjoying.
"A football institution that is led by good corporate governance, integrity, and very good policies and that can only happen when you have really good leadership – they assist the club to fast track its progress and to put it into a very good space," he added.
"I’m not saying that’s not happening at other clubs but I know what is happening at Sundowns and that’s for sure, I think the greatest strength of the club, the hard work that’s put in behind the scenes in various departments and can not be attributed to just a singular individual, or group – it’s a collective that comes from the Motsepe Family to the groundsmen to the security at the gate and that’s the reality."
This season, the team has successfully defended the PSL crown, won the MTN8, have reached the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League and on Saturday, they will be playing Cape Town City in the Nedbank Cup semis.
