Confident coach returns to lift struggling club

Returning for his second spell at Golden Arrows, coach Mandla Ncikazi has sounded confident of guiding the club out of its current slump, lauding the players’ attitude already.

Ncikazi returned to Arrows as head coach last week, replacing Pitso Dladla amid the club’s recent poor run. Arrows had gone five games without a win before Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of Chippa United at home in the first round of the Carling Knockout.

Dladla was fired before the Chippa win, but Ncikazi — who spent five years at Orlando Pirates, where he mostly served as the assistant to coaches such as Jose Riveiro and incumbent Abdeslam Ouaddou — wasn’t on the bench, with assistant coach Ashley Makhanya in charge.

“It’s good to be back. We hope we will bring the happiness we brought some years ago. This team has the potential of being a very good product,” Ncikazi told the club’s media team.

Ncikazi inspired Arrows to finish fourth in the 2020/21 season, which remains their highest league finish to date.

“It’s early days but I see the willingness to learn new things from the players, and that gives hope. I am confident that with this attitude, we are going to do better. You can’t overpromise and underperform.”

Ncikazi also attributed his return to Arrows to keeping his relationship with the club’s owner, Mato Madlala, healthy after leaving for Pirates in 2021, also thanking Pirates for the platform to grow.

“It is predestination; sometimes it helps. Bathi isihlahla asinyelwa (they say don’t burn your bridges). I wouldn’t have had this opportunity [to return to Arrows] if I were not the person that I am. Hence, I’m still grateful to my previous employers [Orlando Pirates] for the opportunity and growth, and the words of wisdom,” Ncikazi stated.

“I’m also grateful to our chairlady [Mato Madlala] for thinking about my name when she needed a coach. I will do my best to try to improve the product. I’m confident that we will be better than what we were yesterday.”

Arrows have one win from eight league games so far, with five draws and two defeats.