Mngqithi pleased with application as Sundowns keep up with Pirates

The Brazilians faced Rise and Shine again in just two weeks after losing the Betway Premiership clash played at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium 1-0, but were dominant with a 2-0 victory at Loftus.

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Mngqithi was pleased with the application to cut Orlando Pirates’ lead at the top to just three points.

''I think we started the game well, we wanted better mobility, better speed of play. That is what we got in the early stages of the game, to try and see if we couldn't  create early chances but as the half progressed we started getting comfortable after scoring the goal. We started seeing more midfielders coming short in front of the opposition which killed our potency in terms of being able to course problems in between the lines and invite the next line and the next line and that made our latter stages of the first half not to be as dangerous as they could have been. 

I think we started the second half quite well, probably the best start of the second half this season in my opinion, good tactical discipline, good rotations. I think we were just unfortunate not to create a lot of good opportunities from that,  but we wanted a result in this game and we got the result. We must congratulate the players for giving their best,'' said Mngqithi.

The coach described the defeat in Limpopo as an “accident”, adding that he believed in rotating the squad ahead of their busy schedule in the coming weeks.

''I'm just trusting the process because I am the one who came up with this idea of trying to make sure that we keep our team as fresh as possible, so that we don't have tired legs when we get into games of consequence and I trust the players that we have and I believe they are good enough. 

In as much as we lost the match against Polokwane but I just think that it was one of the accidents that happen in football. Even if we played the whole day, we were just not potent enough, not creative enough, we were not aggressive and adventurous enough. But that is unlike the team we have had from the  beginning of the season, I think we have a team that is more potent than that and I trust all these players, that is why I am prepared to take a bullet when it comes to giving these players a chance to play. I believe it will help the team. We can't have so many good players and not play them and only concentrate in one group of players and when those players are injured or tired or whatever the case might be then you have got a serious collapse in a very difficult stage of the season, I don't want that collapse, I want us to have a little  bit more depth,'' added Mngqithi.

City assistant coach Brice Aka was of the opinion Sundowns punished them from two clumsy “mistakes”, allowing young Kutlwano Lethlaku to score twice.

''A tough  match like we expected, we were prepared for them but we made mistakes and gave them the game. In football you  make mistakes and you get punished,'' said Aka.

Aka also explained head coach Phuti Mohafe’s absence, but insisted Sundowns were also a difficult side to play even in the fixture City won.