Dladla Under Pressure As Ncikazi Rumours Swirl

Sportswire understands that Lamontville Golden Arrows head coach Pitso Dladla is facing an uphill battle to save his job at the Durban-based club.

Abafana Bes’thende are winless in their last five matches across all competitions, with local rivals Milford FC adding to their woes over the weekend in a Betway Premiership clash at King Zwelithini Stadium.

Arrows’ last victory came against Stellenbosch FC at home back in August.

The poor run is a stark contrast to their promising start under Dladla, who replaced Manqoba Mngqithi during the off-season. Arrows went unbeaten in their opening six games, which included a remarkable first-leg victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 semi-finals.

However, Sundowns overturned the deficit in the return fixture before going on to lift the trophy—a setback that seems to have derailed Arrows’ momentum.

Despite the recent slump and mounting pressure, the club is not in immediate danger on the log. Arrows currently occupy eighth position in the Betway Premiership standings with eight points from eight matches.

Reacting to the defeat against Milford, Dladla emphasized that his team’s struggles are now largely psychological.

“It is not only about physical strength, technique, or positioning; sometimes it is mental—how strong you are mentally,” said Dladla.

“Sometimes it is calmness, composure in the box, and the conviction that you can score. We must work more on the psychological aspect than anything else, because in terms of arriving in the box and being first to the ball, we are doing all that. It is more mental than anything now.”

Dladla arrived at Golden Arrows with strong credentials after a successful tenure at Durban City, where he guided the club to their maiden top-flight trophy by lifting the Nedbank Cup in May last season.

As Dladla fights to turn results around, Sportswire sources indicate that Golden Arrows could consider bringing back former head coach Mandla Ncikazi.

Ncikazi has been spotted in Durban for several weeks, raising questions about his current role at Orlando Pirates after failing to appear on the Buccaneers’ technical bench in recent matches.

Ncikazi previously enjoyed a successful spell at Golden Arrows, leading them to a franchise-record fourth-place finish in the 2020/21 Betway Premiership season before joining Pirates as an assistant coach.

His achievements that season earned him a nomination for the PSL Coach of the Season award, which was ultimately won by Benni McCarthy of AmaZulu.