Sundowns aren’t obsessed with unbeaten run – Mngqithi
“If you focus on all of those records and unbeaten runs you might end up losing track of what you want to achieve," said Mngqithi.
Manqoba Mngqithi, co-coach of Mamelodi Sundowns (Picture: Kabelo Leputu/BackpagePix)
Mamelodi Sundowns’ sterling performance this season sees them starring some records should they finish the season without a loss, meaning they would most likely win the league (if they avoid many draws) and go on to successfully defend the Nedbank Cup.
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What would be sweeter for the Chloorkop-based outfit is that they would have shattered two records currently held by their rivals Kaizer Chiefs. In the 2014/15 season, Amakhosi played 19 league games without tasting defeat – a record Downs can break if they avoid defeat in their next three DStv games.
The Soweto giants are the proud holders of recording the least number of defeats in a single season in the league where they lost just twice in the 2004/05 season under the stewardship of the late Ted Dumitru.
It is on everyone’s lips that the Brazilians have now gone 24 matches unbeaten in all competition since their last blemish came from an MTN8 quarterfinal tie against Bloemfontein Celtic last October. In the league Downs have won 11 and drawn six games, taking the lead of the DStv Premiership, opening a four-point gap over chasers Golden Arrows, who have played two games more than the Tshwane giants.
An ‘invincible’ season for Sundowns would make them the first side in all of recorded South African football history to win the league four seasons on the spin as they have won it three times in row on two occasions – first between 1997 and 2000 – while their Pretoria neighbours SuperSport United are the only other side in the Premier Soccer League era to claim the domestic crown for three years running between 2007 and 2010.
However much it may seem enticing to break these records, Downs mentor, co-head coach Manqoba Mngqithi chooses to turn a blind eye and adopts the age-old “one game at a time” phrase.
“If you focus on all of those records and unbeaten runs you might end up losing track of what you want to achieve. If you give each match all of the attention it deserves from the training, the analysis and everything else, the players will give everything because we have made them aware of what we are expecting,” said Mngqithi.
“Personally, I am not even looking at the records,” added the former Golden Arrows mentor, who holds the record of the biggest score-line in a South African cup final having guided Abafana Bes’thende to an 6-0 demolition job over the now defunct Ajax Cape Town in 2009.
“It (records) is not something that we always focus on and in my coaching history, one thing that I have always managed, even with smaller teams, is that I don’t lose easily. I do lose but not very easy,” said.
Mngqithi added: “When Sundowns have the material that we have and we are able to play so many matches without a loss, it is probably based on the quality that we have in the coaches I work with and everybody works very hard. The players are buying into our playing concept and what we are trying to achieve with them. We are never really focused on records, we are looking at each match as it comes.”
Sundowns’ next assignment is a Caf Champions League against Congolese giants TP Mazembe where maximum points will book the Brazilians’ place in the last eight.
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