Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has explained why he uses Orlando Pirates star Deon Hotto to inspire his players at the KZN-based outfit.
Arrows are fresh from suffering a humiliating 5-0 defeat against Pirates in the Betway Premiership at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday night. The Buccaneers produced yet another dominant performance and were ruthless in attack, scoring 11 goals in their last two league encounters.
Before putting five past Arrows, Pirates defeated TS Galaxy 6-0 at Mbombela Stadium over two weeks ago. Pirates’ resounding win over the KZN-based side saw them keep pace with Mamelodi Sundowns in the title race. The Soweto giants sit second on the league table with 54 points from 23 games, while Masandawana are on 56 points.
After Pirates collected three points—with Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis netting braces—Sundowns also won their match, beating Durban City FC 1-0 at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday.
WHAT MNGQITHI SAID ABOUT DEON HOTTO
Speaking after the away defeat, Mngqithi revealed that he uses Deon Hotto’s work ethic to inspire his players, who are still on a journey to build successful careers.
Hotto has been a key figure at Pirates, playing a major role in delivering several domestic trophies to the club over the past few seasons. The Namibia international has been with the Sea Robbers for six years after signing from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits in 2020.
Hotto has amassed over 200 appearances across all competitions for Pirates, scoring 28 goals and contributing 46 assists. Despite being 35 years of age, Hotto’s game remains characterised by high intensity and undoubted professionalism both on and off the pitch.
“I think it will be very important for me to look into this game [against Pirates] because there are very nice lessons that we can learn. It is so strange, I always use Hotto as an example when I talk to my players,” Mngqithi said.
‘A LESSON FOR THE YOUTH’: MNGQITHI USES DEON HOTTO TO INSPIRE ARROWS PLAYERS
“I think Hotto is a good football player, but his greatest strength is his intensity. The way he works and the way he runs is a lesson for a younger player who is still earning nothing and hasn’t achieved anything yet.
“You look at Hotto’s age and the intensity he plays with—you can ask my players, I always mention him because I admire how much effort he puts into his game. I like this culture because I see that it is growing in this Pirates team; they run.
“You can see [Tshepang] Moremi is in that mode now; no laziness. You can see Masindi Nemtajela is working very hard. And you look at these boys from all angles and realise that my players can learn something. If a team as big as Pirates can run like this, I even told my boys at half-time that if Pirates run more than us, it means we are not hungry.
“As a younger team with ambitions, I expect them to work harder and never be outworked by any team. We may be naive or ignorant at times, but a strong work ethic is something we should always pride ourselves on. The lessons from today [Tuesday] are in the shifts that Hotto put in; those are the lessons my players must learn.”
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