Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi refused to get carried away by his club’s impressive run after they thumped Marumo Gallants 4-0 in the Betway Premiership match at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday.
Goals by Sede Dion, Isaac Cisse and a brace by Thokozani Khumalo handed Abafana Bes’thende an emphatic victory. Mngqithi said they are still in the building phase and should keep their feet on the ground.
“The truth is, we are still in the building phase, and we should not be carried away. I want to build a stronger pace that must be able to last for as long as possible, regardless of what happens in the team,” Mngqithi told the media during the post-match press conference.
The truth is, we are still in the building phase, and we should not be carried away.
— Manqoba Mngqithi , Golden Arrows coach
“The boys are responding, and a lot of young boys that have not been seen, and that’s very encouraging for me. The culture of working very hard – I think that’s what I have brought into the team, and everybody understands that. [It’s] not just about the ability to play, but the ability to run because the team works very hard.”
As they prepare to host Orlando Pirates at King Zwelithini Stadium, where they only lost once at home this season, Mngqithi said that should not put pressure on his side.
“I would not want to get carried away with this because it will end up being a stress element to the team. When you play football with the mentality that you can’t lose here, it’s like someone drunk saying, “I don’t want to fall,” because now the focus shifts away from playing your normal game, and you see what you get [out] of it,” he said.
“When you say you can’t afford to make mistakes, that’s where you will make a mistake. But it is positive; the boys are interested. The team is looking strong physically. We always finish the game stronger than our opponents, and that’s probably a big plus in how the team is performing.
“The most important thing for me is that the team is scoring goals, and that will always be a big factor because you want the team to always guarantee you at least one goal, and then you know you have to worry about keeping zero behind, and that’s what I’m trying so hard to rectify – our defensive play to be strong.”
Sowetan
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