Katlego Mphela. He left Sundowns in 2014 and played for the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United before he retired in 2019.
After allegations that player power could have contributed to the departure of Manqoba Mngqithi at Mamelodi Sundowns, Katlego Mphela has admitted that those dynamics used to exist at the club.
Mngqithi could not get through to the festive period in sole charge of Sundowns after he was relieved of his duties in early December due to “unsatisfactory results”.
The former Golden Arrows coach’s tenure prior to his departure was affected by an alleged fight with some senior players at Masandawana, particularly and including Teboho Mokoena and Khuliso Mudau.
Although Mngqithi in his interviews following his exit at Chloorkop did not want to elaborate on the reasons for the fight with the specific players, he did admit that he was not going allow certain individuals to go out of control of his authority.
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Mphela, who was at the Brazilians between 2008 and 2014, has revealed that a circle of five senior players at the club, who were close to President Patrice Motsepe, were responsible for Masandawana parting ways with former coach Hristo Stoichkov back in 2010.
“He (Stoichkov) had a problem with senior players, Sundowns used to have player-power. Where Patrice (Motsepe) would have a certain group of senior players that he will consult (regarding) the coach,” Mphela revealed on iDiski Dine YouTube Channel.
“So (Stoichkov) had problems with certain players, there were powerful players there, they had a say (on whether a coach should be released).
“I remember we were in (Bafana) camp, then we got SMSes that ‘the coach is gone’, just like that, because five players decided,” the former Bafana Bafana striker revealed.
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Stoichkov turned Sundowns into a fearful side during his stay in the 2009/10 season but could not contain the dressing room, according to Mphela and was relieved of his duties with three months of the campaign left.
After his departure, Mngqithi was accused by his naysayers that he seemed to have lost the dressing room at the Tshwane giants.
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