Orlando Pirates Coach Prepares to Exit Buccaneers for Premier Soccer League Rival

Orlando Pirates Coach Prepares to Exit Buccaneers for Premier Soccer League Rival

  • Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has emerged as a top candidate for the Golden Arrows head coaching role
  • Golden Arrows are reportedly reviewing current coach Pitso Dladla's position after just one win in eight league games
  • Ncikazi spent five years at Pirates and is only recently back from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for months

Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi is reportedly being considered for the head coaching position at Golden Arrows, a club he previously led before joining the Soweto giants.

SoccerBeat reported on Tuesday that Golden Arrows are reviewing the future of current coach Pitso Dladla following a poor run of results.

The publication wrote on X: "SoccerBeat understands that Pitso Dladla's position at Golden Arrows is under review after just one win in eight games in the league. Mandla Ncikazi is understood to be at the top of a shortlist of potential replacements."

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No official confirmation of an approach or a move has been made public at this stage.

Ncikazi's injury-disrupted season at Pirates

The 57-year-old has served on the Pirates technical team for five years since departing Abafana Bes'thende, but his current season has been disrupted by a knee injury sustained during pre-season.

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The experienced coach underwent surgery and spent an extended period away from the club, at one point seen using crutches during his rehabilitation.

Pirates allowed Ncikazi to return to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal to recover, and he has only resumed his duties in recent weeks.

A familiar return on the cards?

Should a move materialise, it would reunite Ncikazi with a club he knows well. During his time at Orlando Pirates, the coach was part of a highly successful technical set-up, with the Buccaneers winning eight trophies across his five-year tenure.

Dladla's difficult start to the season — just one victory from eight league outings — has placed Arrows under pressure, and sources suggest the club's hierarchy is weighing its options. Whether Ncikazi would be willing to step away from Pirates for the top job at Arrows remains to be seen.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Raphael Abiola avatar

Raphael Abiola (Sports editor) Raphael Abiola is a Sports Journalist with over nine years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015. Raphael previously worked as a football editor at Stakegains (2016-2018) and a content editor with Opera News Nigeria (2018-2023). Raphael then worked as an Editor for the Local Desk at Sports Brief (2023-2024). Reach him via email at raphael.abiola@briefly.co.za.