With Manqoba Mngqithi having reached veteran status in the CAF Champions League space, the Golden Arrows coach has commented on Orlando Pirates' semi-final exit from the competition.
Pirates suffered a 3-2 defeat to Egyptian side Pyramids in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final in Cairo on Friday.
The defeat was particularly disappointing to local football lovers who had hoped for an all-South African final, as Mamelodi Sundowns had defeated Al Ahly in their semi-final on the same day.
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Nevertheless, it was an impressive campaign from a side that had failed to make it past the group stages just a season ago, and were into their first semi-final of the competition since 2013.
These sentiments were shared by former Sundowns coach Mngqithi when asked to share his thoughts on the Sea Robbers' continental run.
"I wouldn't even want to go to (the point of discussing) the last stage of the South African final," Mngqithi told journalists at Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday.
"I think, personally, we should just be proud of how much impact and improvement South African football has had in the past few years.
"To see Pirates back in the Champions League and going as far as they went? For me, that was very positive.
"Sometimes we forget that maybe the previous season they could not even come out of the group, or maybe not even reach the quarter-finals. But when you see them going as far as they did, you should be very proud," he added.
Mngqithi went on to note the PSL's improvement, and also noted the progress being made by Bafana Bafana.
"With the national team doing well, these teams and players are forced to give an A-game in their clubs."
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The experienced coach also had plenty of praise for Stellenbosch FC, who went as far as the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, where they fell to Fadlu Davids' Simba SC.
"Personally, I'm just a proud South African with the impact that South Africa is making. Look at Stellenbosch. Who would have thought they would be in the semi-final of the Confederation Cup? And they were there, and they were strong."
