While Masandawana have gone from strength to strength over the past 10 years, Amakhosi and Bucs have failed to keep pace with the Tshwane giants.
Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has provided some fascinating insight into his club’s success and Kaizer Chiefs as well as Orlando Pirates can possibly learn from it.
Speaking after Sundowns added the Nedbank Cup to the league title and the MTN8 this season, Mngqithi revealed how important it is to have a strong technical team who are given full power to make decisions without influence or interference and pressure from above.
“It’s very difficult for any other team to compete with so many capable coaches sharing their opinions within the group to make sure this thing is better and having those debates that are very critical,” he was quoted saying by TimesLive.
“In other environments, these debates are not between coaches. These debates are between the coach and the boss.
“But at Sundowns, the chairman [Tlhopie Motsepe] gives us the authority to make these decisions as coaches, as analysts together, and we sit in this panel of more than 20 people and we discuss the finer details of every game. And those marginal gains at some points do make us look better than others because we dig a little bit deeper.”
It’s known that at Chiefs, upper management figures such as Bobby Motaung, have in the past influenced technical team matters. And it’s been thought that Pirates also have people above the coaches pulling the strings.
To be fair, it’s an issue which a lot of teams – both in the PSL and abroad have to contend with.
But more often than not, it’s the clubs where the boardroom management allows their coaches to get on with their jobs and don’t try to influence selection or recruitment decisions, which are often more successful.
Certainly, the evidence is there that it’s worked for Sundowns, with Mngqithi, Rhulani Mokwena and Steve Komphela forming the backbone of the technical team.
Chiefs could potentially do the same – Arthur Zwane, Dillon Sheppard and Molefi Ntseki, together with qualified members of their technical team, should be allowed to have final say over all football matters.
Pirates, meanwhile, could potentially rope someone like Benni McCarthy or Kaitano Tembo in to form their own coaching triumvirate together with Fadlu Davids and Mandla Ncikazi, and they too should be given full backing to make all decisions regarding the players.
GOAL.com
