Golden Arrows FC head coach Manqoba Mngqithi is threading carefully, laying bare the delicate balance between celebrating the club’s recent success and staying committed to their long-term project goals.
The 54-year-old tactician, who returned to the Durban side after a decade-long, trophy-laden stint with Mamelodi Sundowns, has ushered in a promising new campaign. Following a difficult end to the previous season, Mngqithi’s exciting brand of football has yielded steady improvements in performance and results.
Crucially, his guidance saw the team reach its first cup semi-final since his return, beating TS Galaxy 2-1 after extra time, most recently to make the last four of the Carling Knockout Cup.
Reflecting on his past tenure at Arrows, Mngqithi shared a key lesson on approaching early success, cautioning against allowing the achievement to derail their bigger vision.
MNGQITHI ON THE DANGER OF EARLY MILESTONES
“You must tread very carefully because that success or those small milestones might be very dangerous if we are not clear about what we are trying to build. But fortunately, we are still fully aware of the experiences of what happened in the past,” the coach stated.
Mngqithi further revealed that while club chairlady Mato Madlala is aligned with the new project’s vision, her limited day-to-day involvement places a significant responsibility on him to oversee the entire club structure and keep the project intact.
DEVELOPING AND EXPORTING TALENT AT ARROWS
Part of Arrows’ recent success has been inspired by the brilliance of industrious figures in Mngqithi’s young squad, notably 23-year-old Siyanda Ndlovu, who has become a key figure in the team’s attacking setup.
Mngqithi believes that a critical measure of the club’s success lies in its ability to develop and export talent like Ndlovu. He insisted that the players themselves should aspire to move on when the opportunity arises.
“But I must also say younger boys like ‘Skhwishi’ [Ndlovu] must also fancy opportunities to go out of the club if they are doing well. Going into other countries if they get the opportunity,” he added.
He reinforced this developmental philosophy by recalling his first spell at the club, where player sales were essential for financial stability. “My role and the stature of the club, this club should be able to sell players. In my first tenure when I was here, I was probably averaging around three/four players per season. We were selling to keep the club afloat and to be more aggressive on the transfer market,” Mngqithi concluded.
Now, Arrows are just two matches away from potentially securing their first domestic title since lifting the MTN8 trophy in 2009 under Mngqithi. The focus remains locked on the upcoming Carling Cup semi-final, as the returned prodigal son eyes a historic cup triumph.
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