Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi says Marumo Gallants have ‘one of the most dynamic midfields in SA’ ahead of the sides’ Nedbank Cup final clash.
Sundowns will be aiming to complete a domestic treble after winning the league and MTN8 when they face the defending champions at Royal Bafokeng Stadium early Saturday evening.
Dan Malesela’s side surprised all and sundry when they went all the way last season. That saw them gain much-needed experience by playing in the CAF Confederation Cup this year, whilst they obtained a decent 12th position finish, just six points adrift of the top eight.
One of the standout performers for Thwihli Thwala has been Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo, who has scored eight times in 34 appearances. But Mngqithi was also keen to shower praise on the other midfielders in the side Miguel Timm and Celimpilo Ngema.
“The good thing about Dan’s team is that it has three very important players that make that team function,” said Mngqithi.
“Miguel Timm is grossly undervalued in the league but is one of the best central midfielders.
“It is Ndlondlo whom I regard very highly — very dynamic, good in counter-pressing, good in the passing game, full range of passing and also scores goals. He is very important to that team.
“They also have Celimphilo Ngema, whom I also regard highly. They call him ‘Zizou’ because he is a very intelligent player, nippy, he sees the opening that he can exploit between the lines, he creates a lot of goals for the team and he is a very important player in general.
“That makes them one of the most dynamic midfields in SA and it is something we should look at very closely. They also have offensive fullbacks who can cause us problems if we are unaware.”