Mngqithi Refuses To Get Carried Away By Home Form Ahead Of Pirates
Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi says he won’t be deceived by his team’s emphatic 4–0 victory over Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership on Sunday, with a tougher test against Orlando Pirates looming this week.
Arrows, who will again face Gallants in the Carling Knockout semi-final at King Zwelithini Stadium this weekend, were dominant in Umlazi as they cruised to a convincing win. The result lifted the Durban-based side to seventh place on the Premiership table with 16 points from 11 matches.
The victory gives Abafana Bes’Thende a psychological edge as they prepare to host Pirates at the same venue on Wednesday.
However, Arrows have not beaten Pirates since 2021, when they won behind closed doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, Mandla Ncikazi, who was Arrows’ coach at the time, is now an assistant coach at Orlando Pirates.
Mngqithi, though pleased with the performance, cautioned against reading too much into the scoreline.
“The scoreline is not always what you should focus on as a coach,” Mngqithi said.
“You can be happy that you’ve won, but the focus should be on consistency. Sometimes you regret scoring four in one match — maybe it would’ve been better to spread those goals across a few games.
“But the positive is that we’re scoring goals, and that’s crucial in competition football. You want a team that can always guarantee at least one goal. Then the key is to make sure you keep a clean sheet behind. That’s what I’m working on — building a strong defensive structure because games are often decided by who concedes less. Even a 1–0 win is enough if you defend well.”
Arrows’ victory was their fifth in six matches across all competitions, underlining their impressive form. They have also won seven of their last eight home matches, including a notable triumph over Mngqithi’s former club, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Their only home defeat at home came against Kaizer Chiefs, though that fixture was played at Moses Mabhida Stadium in August for safety reasons.
Despite their strong home record, Mngqithi remains grounded ahead of the Pirates clash.
“I don’t want to get carried away because that can create unnecessary pressure on the players,” he explained.
“When you play with the mindset that you can’t lose here, it’s like a drunk person saying, I don’t want to fall — the focus shifts away from just playing naturally. When you start worrying about not making mistakes, that’s when you make a lot of them.
“Still, it’s positive that we’ve been strong at King Zwelithini. The players are showing interest, the team looks physically strong, and we often finish games stronger than our opponents. That’s a big plus in how we’ve been performing this season.”
