Pitso Dladla aims to turn Durban City cup template into Golden Arrows success story

Pitso Dladla believes the belief and meticulous planning that underpinned his shock Nedbank Cup triumph with Durban City can drive Lamontville Golden Arrows to silverware as he begins his tenure at the KwaZulu-Natal club.

The former Durban City head coach has taken charge of Abafana Bes’thende ahead of the new campaign after Manqoba Mngqithi left the Durban side to join Tanzanian giants Young Africans.

Dladla’s appointment marks a rapid rise for the 47-year-old, who was thrust into the spotlight last season when he replaced Gavin Hunt at newly promoted Durban City. In his first campaign at the helm, he guided the club to an unexpected Nedbank Cup victory and a top-eight finish in the league.

Now stepping into a job he regards as a major institution in KZN football, Dladla is convinced that his cup run with City has reshaped his own expectations and can serve as a working model for Golden Arrows.

“I think it gives me a sense of belief that it is doable. If you prepare well and you want it, then you can do it,” Dladla said.

“Which is something we are talking about at Lamontville Golden Arrows, but at the same time we don’t want to put ourselves under pressure. It’s a matter of preparing for each and every game.”

Replacing key departures

Dladla will have to navigate a period of change at Arrows, who begin the season without several influential performers from the previous campaign, including Isaac Cisse and Pule Mmodi.

Despite those exits, he insists the squad has been carefully reconstructed and that the club’s planning behind the scenes will allow them to cope with the loss of key players.

“There’s something amazing happening here at Arrows. If you look at the players who have left, they replaced certain players. When they left, we couldn’t believe that we were going to get their replacements,” he explained.

“I can tell you right now that each and every player that is here is prepared to replace and compete with them. I think there’s a very good succession plan happening at Golden Arrows.”

Building a winning habit

Dladla says his immediate priority is to embed a mentality that delivers sustained results over the course of a demanding season, rather than relying on one-off cup heroics.

“As long as we can get good consistency in terms of winning games, whereby if we win one today, we win another the following weekend or midweek,” he added. “We need to have consecutive wins. I think it’s just a matter of consistency.”

While he is wary of creating unrealistic expectations, Dladla maintains that the combination of his recent cup success, Arrows’ succession planning and a focus on game-by-game preparation can allow the club to challenge for honours.

For a coach who only last season was firefighting at a newly promoted side, the Golden Arrows job offers the chance to prove that his Durban City fairytale was not a one-off – and that his Nedbank Cup blueprint can be scaled up at a club aiming to re-establish itself among South Africa’s contenders.