Orlando Pirates interim coach Mandla Ncikazi has spoken out about the disappointing draw in his first match in charge of the Soweto giants.
Pirates played to a 1-1 draw against TS Galaxy on Saturday afternoon at Orlando Stadium in the Betway Premiership. All goals came in the second-half after Bandile Shandu found the back of the net in the 64th minute for the Buccaneers while Mpho Mvelase netted a last-minute goal for the Rockets.
Ncikazi has taken over the hot seat at Pirates following the abrupt departure of their head coach, Jose Riveiro. Pirates made an announcement last Monday, revealing that the 49-year-old mentor requested an early release before his contract expires in June 2025.
The Spanish tactician is leaving the Sea Robbers, having spent three seasons at the helm since joining in July 2022. In what was a successful stint at Pirates, Riveiro left the Houghton-based outfit with the tag of ‘Cup Kings’ of South African football.
Pirates won three successive MTN8 trophies and two Nedbank Cup titles under the guidance of Riveiro.
WHAT NCIKAZI SAID AFTER OVERSEEING HIS FIRST MATCH AS PIRATES INTERIM COACH
After overseeing his first match post-Riveiro’s era, Ncikazi says it was disappointing to lose maximum points in the dying minutes of the match.
“It’s disappointing that at the end we had to play a draw after conceding a last-minute goal,” Ncikazi said on SuperSport TV.
“I’m thinking that we paid the school fees for continuity, giving youngsters an opportunity, but it’s not their fault. So I thought we were in control of the match, but it is what it is.
“There are so many lessons learned by whoever was given an opportunity to play today [Saturday]. It’s a loss in terms of points, but I don’t think the experience that was given to the youngsters is a loss to them. It’s just a bitter pill to swallow, but it is what it is.”
RELATED STORY: Ncikazi wishes to see Sundowns, AmaZulu Champions League final