Mamelodi Sundowns co-coaching duo Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena have expressed gratitude after winning their third successive DStv Premiership Coach of the Month award.
The pair were rewarded on Monday for the month of December, as was Sundowns’ midfielder Andile Jali.
Mokwena says they are grateful to get the award, but credit must go to the whole team.
“Thank you very much, we appreciate and we receive the award on behalf of everybody involved in contributing to the success of the team,” Mokwena told the club’s media department.
“The Coach of the month, the Player of the Month, those are individual awards that are a reflection of the success of the entire team. You get these awards, coach of the month, because the team’s winning, but the team wins because of the players and the rest of the support staff.
“So we’d like to extend also huge congratulations, one to our support staff, the rest of the technical team, including coach Steve, coach Wendell for their contributions towards the success of the club, our medical department, our conditioning, our analysis department and senior management and the entire club.
Mngqithi also added his thank-yous, but admits December wasn’t their best cycle, as they dropped five points.
“Thanks for the award, but the award belongs to the team,” Mngqithi added.
“I must just congratulate the boys, the coaching staff, the support staff and all the members of the technical team for making it possible for the team to continue achieving its targets.
“This is one cycle where we did not really have the best performances, we even dropped points, I think we dropped five points in 21 points that we were supposed to get. We only managed to get 16, but still, it was a very good return.
“But thanks to everyone for making it possible, including the management, the board, the president of the club, and the chairman for making the club to have all the resources to be able to achieve what we have achieved.”
