Ncikazi Targets Arrows Restoration
Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi is determined to restore Abafana Bes’Thende to the respected heights achieved during the iconic eras of Khabo Zondo, Manqoba Mngqithi, and his own historic first stint at the helm.
Ncikazi, who returned to the Durban outfit from Orlando Pirates, faces an immediate test given his lack of a pre-season with the squad. He replaced Pitso Dladla after the previous technical team endured a five-match winless streak.
During the 2020/21 season, Ncikazi guided Golden Arrows to a record fourth-place finish—the highest in the club’s history—before joining Pirates at the end of that campaign.
Reflecting on his return, the tactician explained that while he achieved his goals in Soweto, he preferred to embrace the pressures of head coaching over the relative comfort of an assistant role.
Ncikazi—who suffered a narrow defeat to AmaZulu in his first game back on Saturday—faces a daunting task on Tuesday when Arrows visit Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
He stressed that stabilizing the team remains his top priority, particularly addressing an attack that has scored just three goals across nine matches.
“I was going through the archives of how much I have grown as a human being, as a coach, as a man, the success, the memories, the downfalls,” Ncikazi said.
“The fact that you are successful doesn’t mean that you don’t go through the rough patches. But it also makes you aware of the world outside.
“That’s why I will be forever grateful for Pirates. I don’t think, as a coach, if I’m thinking correctly, who has experienced such success in the history of what I have gone through. But again, go challenge yourself; try and teach what you think you know to the next generation of your players.
“It would be nice to have a big team in our province. It would be nice to have Arrows going back to that dominance. I remember one time when Khabo Zondo was still coaching here and how Arrows would dominate and how Arrows was respected.
“Now we have a lot of teams in the province. It would be nice not to have the number, but to have the team that really is respected; it would be nice to see one team winning from the province [of KwaZulu-Natal], why not?”
The last KwaZulu-Natal club to lift the top-flight league title was Gordon Igesund’s Manning Rangers during the inaugural 1996/97 PSL season.
“Durban City won the cup [Nedbank Cup last season], but let’s go for the league,” Ncikazi continued.
“Why shouldn’t it be Arrows? It is possible. But we have a lot of work to do. First, let’s be stable, let’s settle; let’s do things the right way; let’s score goals. This is a game of scoring and defending. Until that time, we will start about other developments.”
