Mandla Ncikazi confirms his new role at Orlando Pirates

Former Golden Arrows mentor Mandla Ncikazi has confirmed that he will serve as an assistant coach at Orlando Pirates after joining the Soweto club’s technical team last month.

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Ncikazi parted ways with Abafana Bes’thende in June after guiding the KwaZulu-Natal team to a club-record fourth position in the DStv Premiership last season in order to take up a role within the coaching structure at the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers finished third last season and will be looking to challenge those who ended up ahead of them in the standings, namely champions Mamelodi Sundowns and runners-up AmaZulu.

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“The quality of teams [in the league] is almost equal,” Mandla Ncikazi said in his first interview with Orlando Pirates’ media team.

“You cannot predict the outcome of the PSL currently, so working with the technical team and everybody in the club, we need to try and identify the smaller edges, the smaller advantages that you can take so that it can give us wins.

“I’m not coming into a club that has not done well, they won the MTN8, they won the Carling Cup and reached the quarter-finals in two competitions. How can I add to what is there already, without removing what is already there?

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“I must also acknowledge and be grateful to the big family of Orlando Pirates; the chairperson of the club, who I have a lot of respect for, the supporters, the players, everyone involved with Orlando Pirates for identifying me as a candidate who can assist with such a big brand.

“Blessings as they are, they also go with burdens. The expectations are bigger at this club, this is a club that is expected to win every match and to win every trophy. I know the expectations are here and I am hoping that my little contributions can be enough to assist this club to be better.

“I don’t take it lightly that I am in a galaxy of stars, it is a buffet coming from an environment where, the resources were maybe not this big. I respect that and I am trying to give my little to the club so that it can be better and reach the glory years that this club is known for.”

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