Mngqithi ‘Confident’ He Can Overcome Barker…

Yanga SC Coach Manqoba Mngqithi Will Face Steve Barker’s Simba For The First Piece Of Silverware. Photo: Gallo Images

Young Africans head coach Manqoba Mngqithi is confident that his team has the quality and experience to overcome Steve Barker’s Simba SC in the Community Shield on Wednesday.

Check Out: Barker Praises Mngqithi Ahead Of Cup Duel

Yanga and Simba will meet in Tanzania’s official season-opener as they vie for the first piece of silverware on offer this season.

Barker is chasing his third title with the Reds of Msimbazi after winning last season’s Muunguno Cup and the CRDB Federation Cup, while Mngqithi is hoping to pick up his first trophy and defend the title the club won last season.

Mngqithi Facing Limited Preparation Time

According to Pan-Africa Football, Mngqithi admitted that neither side has had much time to prepare for the season opener, which could make for an unpredictable game.

“We may not have had as many days to prepare because both teams were involved over the weekend, and we did not have enough time for preparation in the pre-season part. I think the same applies to Simba,” Mngqithi admitted.

Despite the short turnaround time for the new season, the former Golden Arrows boss is confident his team will show their quality on the day.

“It will be interesting to see how these teams come up,” he said. But I’m very confident our team has got what it takes to play the good kind of football, not only focusing on the results but also making sure that our supporters enjoy what they watch on matchday,” the South African continued.

Kariakoo Derby Pressure

This will be Mngqithi’s first taste of Tanzania’s biggest game – the Kariakoo Derby – and the 55-year-old is excited for the challenge and magnitude of the game.

“I’m looking forward to the spectacle, and I’m also confident. We have a team that has got the capacity to impress,” he said.

“With regard to pressure, I think I’ve been a professional coach for 25 years, and I’ve never really felt pressure as a negative aspect of the game, but more as the aspect that pushes you to greater heights,” the former Sundowns coach continued.

The coach believes Yanga possesses enough experienced players to cope with the intensity and expectations that accompany the Kariakoo Derby.

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“I’ll be looking forward to the contest, and I believe I’ve got a team that is experienced enough to handle the kind of pressure that comes with this derby,” he concluded.

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