Golden Arrows address Mandla Ncikazi return speculation

Golden Arrows have played down reports linking former head coach Mandla Ncikazi with a return to the KwaZulu-Natal club.

Ncikazi, currently an assistant coach at Orlando Pirates, has been strongly linked with a move back to Abafana Bes’thende, who are reportedly considering alternatives amid growing scrutiny of Pitso Dladla’s position.

Golden Arrows have won only one of their past eight league matches, a run of form that has raised concerns within the club. With fears that a Top Eight finish could be slipping away, the club’s hierarchy is said to have drawn up a shortlist of possible replacements, with Ncikazi reportedly at the top of it.

However, team manager Nonceba Madlala insisted on Wednesday that Dladla remained in charge.

“We don’t know anything about Mandla Ncikazi coming to Arrows. I’m with the coach [Pitso Dladla] right now, and we are about to get into a technical [staff] meeting,” Madlala told KickOff.

A return to Durban would represent a homecoming for the 57-year-old Ncikazi, who spent more than 15 years with Golden Arrows.

He was head coach during the club’s historic 2020/21 campaign, when he led them to a record fourth-place finish in the league. Ncikazi subsequently left the club for Orlando Pirates.

Golden Arrows are believed to value his knowledge of the team’s identity, development structures and local football culture. His previous experience with the club has made him a leading candidate in the reported succession plans.

Ncikazi has served Orlando Pirates for the past five seasons but his work was interrupted by a knee injury suffered during pre-season. He underwent surgery and was forced to watch the club’s recent matches from the sidelines while using crutches.

The former Golden Arrows coach has since completed his rehabilitation and returned to action. Reports from KwaZulu-Natal suggest that possible changes to the technical set-up at Orlando Pirates could make a permanent return to Golden Arrows as head coach an attractive option.

For now, though, Madlala’s comments indicate that Golden Arrows have not confirmed any approach for Ncikazi and continue to regard Dladla as their head coach.