Tovey’s words of advice to new Sundowns co-coaches – Mngqtihi and Mokwena

“It is not an easy task, the two coaches certainly cannot have egos, they have got to work really well together and understand the roles. My advice would be that they need to communicate before they try to relay the message to the players,” Tovey said

It was 15 years ago Mamelodi Sundowns pulled a stunt like this by appointing co-head coaches. This was when the duo of Bafana Bafana legend – Neil Tovey and Argentine international – Miguel Gamondi were put on a hot-seat but proceeded to clinch the 2005/06 title when it was formerly named the Castle Premiership.

After Pitso Mosimane left the club to join Al-Ahly, his former right-hand men – Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena have been assigned as co-coaches at Masandawana, and Tovey has mentioned that this won’t be an easy journey for the duo if they put their egos ahead of them.

“It is important that you get the understanding that if someone will have to make that final decision, it has to be the responsibility of someone and that happens to be Manqoba, because he has been around in coaching more than Rhulani,” Sundowns have already given Mngqithi’s voice the prevalence should he and Mokwena not see eye-to-eye.

“Fortunately they have got players who have been on the bench with them for a while and they understand the type of players and they understand the club. It is nothing new that is coming. When things don’t go according to plan they are going to need to stick together in their decision making and always try to make one decision,” Tovey said.

The former Bafana Bafana captain dropped suggestions that the reign of the new coaches might offer the players, especially those who have been glued on the bench during Mosimane’s tenure, a new opportunity.

“Those coaches have been watching the players when Pitso was not selecting them and they would have had discussions with them. When a new coach comes in or a situation of an assistant coach being promoted, it gives the players a new chance.”