Mngqithi Backs Dion For PSL Golden Shoe Amid Sundowns Threat
Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi says it would be pleasing to see Junior Dion win the PSL Golden Shoe this season, but admits the striker faces stiff competition from Mamelodi Sundowns duo Iqraam Rayners and Brayan León.
Dion currently leads the scoring charts with 12 league goals, two ahead of Rayners and four clear of Bradley Grobler of Sekhukhune United. León, who joined Sundowns in the January transfer window, has scored four goals so far.
Despite the Colombian being eight goals behind Dion, Mngqithi believes León has the quality to close the gap, especially given the volume of chances created by Sundowns.
With most teams having between nine and 10 matches remaining, the race for the Golden Shoe is expected to be tightly contested—mirroring the battle at the top of the table between Orlando Pirates and Sundowns.
When asked whether a top-eight finish combined with Dion winning the Golden Shoe would be ideal for his young side, Mngqithi emphasised continued improvement over individual accolades.
“It would be nice—not necessarily just to maintain Dion’s position in terms of goals, but to keep improving our offensive play,” said Mngqithi.
“It’s also pleasing that Siyanda Ndlovu is probably number one in assists in the PSL, while Philani Khumalo has contributed five assists.
“If Dion finishes as top scorer, we must also look at how many assists we can get from the players around him. If Khumalo can register five assists in the number of games he has played, that’s very positive for the club.
“But we must not get carried away just because Dion is leading. We can hope he maintains it, but the competition is very stiff.
“In my opinion, he is competing mainly with Rayners and Brayan León at Sundowns. Those two pose a serious challenge, especially because their team creates a lot of chances.
“I can only hope he stays fit and avoids suspension because, when he plays, he is always one of our best performers. We are happy that he is currently leading.”
The last Golden Arrows player to win the PSL Golden Shoe was the late Richard Henyekane during the 2008/09 season, scoring 16 league goals and 19 across all competitions.
Notably, Mngqithi was also in charge of Arrows during that campaign in his first stint with the club.
