Mngqithi describes Anele as a ‘special child of the soil’
"We know our country is in mourning because this boy is a legend that has really done well," said the Sundowns co-head coach.
Anele Ngcongca Pic: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
As tributes continue to flood in for former Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana defender Ngcongca, Masandawana co-head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has shared his words of comfort to the Ngcongca family and supporters of the club.
READ MORE: Komphela’s consoling message to grieving Sundowns players.
Mngqithi has worked with the late defender, who died at the age of 33 on Monday morning in a car accident in KwaZulu-Natal. He joined Downs in 2016 as a free agent after spending about a decade in Belgium where he played for Racing Genk, making over 200 appearances for the side.
“Anele was a special child of the soil, having represented us in an international space in Belgium, playing for big teams, Genk being one of them … and representing the country, Bafana Bafana,” said Mngqithi.
“He was one of the raw talents and not everybody knew his capacity but this is the player who played with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne. He did exceptionally well in that European space, even with his experience in the Uefa Champions League.
“He came to us and became one of the leaders in the changing room and his contribution to the club has been immense. We knew that whenever we were facing stiff competition and we had Anele on the right hand side of defence, we weresafer and we had more leadership. He was leading from the back, telling all the youngsters where to go and making sure that the team is always organised,” the mentor added.
Apart from his much publicised love affair with late kwaito star Mshoza, real name Nomasonto Maswanganyi, Ngcongca lived a life away from the media spotlight, and that is one of the things Mngqithi loved about him.
“It is a very sad loss for all of us. The pain that we are feeling as the technical staff and the players and everybody in the Sundowns family including the president of the club, we are all saddened by this loss. We know our country is in mourning because this boy is a legend that has really done well. He has never been caught out in the media space for all the wrong reasons, he has always been a good boy, that we all loved and appreciated. May his soul Rest in Peace.”
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