After recording their first loss of the season when they lost 1-0 to AmaZulu, Mamelodi Sundowns co head coach Manqoba Mngqithi expects his team to come back strong when they face Marumo Gallants on Thursday.
The DStv Premiership log leaders, who are 16 points ahead of second-placed Orlando Pirates and third-placed Usuthu, lost their first match after 18 games this season, and just their second loss in the league in two seasons.
But Mngqithi says while the loss hurt, he expects his team to bounce back against Gallants, and he only wishes that it wasn’t the last match of the year.
“We have a responsibility to try and make sure that we always represent the club with a lot of dignity and honour,” Mngqithi said in the post match press conference after the loss.
“And we give it our best shot. That’s why we try our best not to lose as many matches, I’m sure the players are hurting, the change room is not the same, because we are not used to losing matches, not even a friendly match for that matter, we go all out.
“Even a training session, we are a team that always want to win everything, from a training session up until a match.
“So now that we have lost, maybe it will have some positive spin offs, that anger of losing the match might might give us a little bit more impetus to go to the next match, and put up a little bit more of a fight.
“The only unfortunate part is that it will only be the last match of the of the year, it would have been nice if we lose and we still have maybe a pack of four or five matches after that, because I do believe the team can can come back very strong after this dip, because it’s not something that we are comfortable with, and something we are used to.
“But unfortunately, we only have one match before we close. And one is hopeful that the boys will respond. And I have no doubt we trust these boys.
“And one must also give credit to the whole technical team. Coach Rulani, Coach Steve, Coach Wendel, coach David Notoane, Marcus Mashilo and the coaching department, and all our analysts and everybody else, because it’s been a long journey.
“And we have fought throughout the year, and we have a responsibility to try and finish the year maybe in a much better way than today.
“And one is hopeful that everybody that is involved in our team, from the technical team, the support staff, and management, the board and everyone, that we will come back next year maybe stronger after our game against Gallants.”
