Manqoba Mngqithi: ‘Credit to Gavin Hunt’

Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi has given credit to his Stellenbosch FC counterpart Gavin Hunt following the two South African teams’ Nedbank Cup Round of 16 clash on Saturday.

The Durban-based side overcame the Stellies with a 1-0 victory to reach the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal stage at the King Zwelithini Stadium, courtesy of Angelo van Rooi’s first goal of the season.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns tactician admitted that the men for Hunt gave his side strong tactical examination during the Nedbank Cup contest.

“Credit must be given to them, and credit must be given to Gavin.” The coach told SuperSport TV.

What the Nedbank Cup game means

“The tactical side of the game was very solid. It was a game of not many chances. I am proud of my boys. They worked very hard. It is one thing I always emphasize that even if the game goes either way, we must always give our best. And I think our best was enough.”

“It was a very difficult match,” Mngqithi said. “We were playing against a good team. We must give them that. Their front-three was deadly. We had to contain them and not rush because we knew we might have more legs than them. We knew that if we played a long game, they might open.”

Manqoba Mngqithi on importance of cup victory to Golden Arrows development

The former Sundowns boss described their victory as the potential catalyst for the development of his relatively youthful squad.

“It was important for this young growing team to start to believe that they can go all the way in cup competitions because when you only focus on the league, the boys don’t really see their potential and when you give them these opportunities and show confidence in them…it helps in the growth of the belief. In cup competitions, you can go one step further and that is very important in the growth of the team,”  Mngqithi added.

In a reaction, Hunt said he felt his side dominated the proceedings and deserved better from the game.

“Totally outplayed. At half-time, we should be three or four nil up then you don’t score and they get a penalty. The team was fantastic. I can’t fault the team. Disappointed but a performance like that was fantastic, totally dominant with the ball. Tactically brilliant. The players stuck to what we asked of them,” the coach said.

Arrows have reached the quarterfinal for the first time since 2015.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.