Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has provided clarity on a statement he made in comparing Orlando Pirates and their CAF Champions League opponents, La Passe.
Read: Zwane Provides Bimenyimana Update
Speaking ahead of their 8-1 second leg thrashing of the Seychelles minnows, Mngqithi revealed that his analysis was that their counterparts had a similar structure and set up to that of Orlando Pirates.
However, Mngqithi, speaking to the media at the PSL offices, was critical of factions of the media who had suggested that the coach was making comparisons between La Passe and Pirates, who they face in the MTN8 on Saturday afternoon.
“Before I go far on this issue of comparing Pirates with La Passe, I think it was blown out of proportion by you guys (media). You come to press conferences with ulterior motives. All I was saying there, is I was talking about the shape,” Mngqithi said.
“Ukuthi, La Passe has got three centre backs, two wing backs, two central midfielders, one [number] nine and two number 10s, just like Pirates have been playing.
“I was not saying Pirates is at the level of La Passe.
“When you are a sports journalist, you have the responsibility to educate and help the country, not to only bring sensationalism into the game because one day it will come back and bite you. So, if you are objective in your analysis, critical and if you don’t understand what one is saying, just come out and ask what I meant by this, it makes this easier than wanting to create a rift amongst teams and coaches,” added the Downs mentor.
Read: Latest On Peter Shalulile…
“Because that’s all I was referring to that, in as much as this opposition is probably not very strong, but structurally it will help us with a match that we are going to play against Pirates, because structurally they are almost the same way and that was not comparing the quality of the two teams but comparing the structures that the two teams were using over the last few matches,” he concluded.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
