Dladla Evades The Ghost Of Mngqithi At Golden Arrows
Newly appointed Lamontville Golden Arrows head coach Pitso Dladla completely evaded questions regarding the pressure of succeeding the departed Manqoba Mngqithi, shifting the narrative entirely toward his current pre-season objectives.
When pressed by Sportswire on whether filling Mngqithi’s substantial shoes posed a daunting challenge, Dladla carefully sidestepped the query.
Instead, he offered a deflection, stating his sole focus remains on the club’s immediate training preparations.
Dladla’s arrival at Abafana Bes’Thende comes on the heels of a ruthless departure from Durban City at the end of last season.
Despite guiding City to a top-eight finish and their maiden silverware—a historic Nedbank Cup triumph—management cut him loose.
Retaining Dladla was always going to be an administrative hurdle; his lack of a CAF A License legally prevents him from sitting on the technical bench during next season’s CAF Confederation Cup campaign.
City have since replaced their most successful tactician with Tunisia’s Khalil Ben Youssef, who meets the continental governing body’s criteria.
Now safely housed at Arrows, Dladla replaces Mngqithi, who navigated the Durban side to a commendable sixth-place finish in the Betway Premiership last term.
“To be honest, I’m just focusing on Lamontville Golden Arrows,” Dladla insisted when pushed on the gravity of replacing his predecessor. “The pre-season is the most important thing for me—to ensure we have a better pre-season.”
When Sportswire further queried the inevitable pressure to replicate Mngqithi’s structural success, the tactician—who famously engineered Richards Bay’s promotion to the top flight in the 2021/22 campaign—remained defensive.
“I never looked at that as pressure. To be honest, I’m trying by all means to focus on the team and focus on the players. For me right now, if we can have a proper pre-season, that will help us to start the season well.”
Dladla was speaking on Thursday during the KZN Premier’s Cup draw. Golden Arrows are scheduled to kick off their pre-season tournament against newly promoted Milford FC at the Princess Magogo Stadium on 24 July.
