Following the early exit of Jose Riveiro, Orlando Pirates interim head coach Mandla Ncikazi has given an update on his future with the club.
Ncikazi served as an assistant coach under the Spanish coach, Riveiro, who left the club with a few matches left before the end of the PSL season.
The former Golden Arrows mentor arrived at the club in 2021 and saw his contract expire last year. He penned a two-year extension, which would run out at the end of the 2025/26 season.
However, with Pirates set to appoint the new coach, there have been questions about whether the 56-year-old coach would be kept within the technical team.
Ncikazi has affirmed his dedication, stating he will keep on being a good servant to the club until he’s told otherwise.
MANDLA NCIKAZI ON HIS FUTURE WITH THE CLUB
“I’m wired differently, I’m working at Pirates, if I’m there, they are good enough, if I’m not there and it’s decided, they are still good enough,” said Ncikazi.
“I’m just proud of the contribution that I’m making at the club and being appreciated by the club. And as long as it’s still like that, I’ll always be the servant of this club until I’m told otherwise.”
Looking back at the season, Ncikazi conveyed his satisfaction with Pirates’ growth and their strong contention in every competition they played.
“I’m a smaller puzzle in a bigger picture, and how I’m wired, this has nothing to do with me, it’s a mission,” Ncikazi added. “When you are at Pirates, you are sent. You must fulfil the mission. But growth in the club depends on how you look at it. I look at the positive side of life.
“The growth that has been mentioned, the narrowing of the gap [between Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns], the records that have been broken, the youngsters that have been introduced, those are positives.
“Yes, we fell short on some objectives that we wanted, and one can only learn from that and improve going into the next season.”
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