Manqoba Mngqithi explains how Mamelodi Sundowns have lost direction

Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi feels his former club Mamelodi Sundowns appears to be heading in the wrong direction when it comes to transfer strategy.

Mngqithi spent 11 years at Sundowns, forming part of Pitso Mosimane and Runali Mokwena’s coaching team before he was made the main man ahead of last season, only to be sacked in December 2024.

However, while he has been away for a year, he still has his eyes on what is happening at Chlorkoop and he is not entirely delighted by what he is seeing.

Mngnqithi feels Sundowns have abandoned their previous strategy of signing more local players and are going for foreign talents which, in the end, is hurting Bafana Bafana.

What was Sundowns’s strategy before?

One would think coach Manqoba Mngqithi was listening to our space last night. We have an aging squad at Mamelodi Sundowns, and it seems like our team is not willing to refresh it with younger South African players. pic.twitter.com/qKvy6oEZj7

— TheBestInAfrica (@MSFC__) December 3, 2025

“At the time I was there, it was one of the mandates from the boss to sign the majority of local players. They wanted Sundowns to help the national teams as well,” the 54-year-old said as per KickOff.

“From the youth national teams to the senior national team, Sundowns always had strong representation. But lately, they haven’t recruited many South African players and have focused on decisive positions.”

The tactician understands Sundowns’ predicament, especially after losing playmaker Lucas Ribeiro, but while he is lauding them for getting quality players in, he is of the opinion that it will affect Hugo Broos’ squad.

“When you lose a player like Lucas [Ribeiro Costa], you try to get two or three players of that level to fill the gap,” he added.

Foreign players hurting Bafana Bafana

“Other teams are also strengthening themselves, because I don’t want to lie and say Sundowns did not strengthen the team better from where they were last season; I think they have done exceptionally well. But unfortunately, that strengthening was mainly from players from outside.

“The two players – Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho [both from Portugal] – are big additions in that team, and maybe they are going to help them in the CAF Champions League.

“But unfortunately, you got a Themba Zwane who is coming back from an injury. You also got Thapelo Morena, who has been injured a lot, and Bathusi Aubaas has not played too many matches,” he added regarding the effects of foreign signings on local players at the club.

Sundowns stars no longer dominating Broos’ team

It is because of this that he believes Sundowns, who had 10 players in the Bafana Bafana squad for AFCON 2023, have just five for this year’s tournament, with Orlando Pirates now dominating the national team with nine set to travel to Morocco.

“Mothobi Mvala has not been playing at all in that central defence,” added the Arrows coach. “They have not been doing exceptionally well, to be honest, and that compounds the issue of Hugo [Broos], who he brings into the team, because there are players who play regularly for their teams, like Khulumane Ndamane at TS Galaxy.”

“He [Broos] wants to try to have players, and it makes sense to bring players into their teams rather than to force matters of players that have not had enough game-time, and also players who are not getting younger as well.”