Having returned to the Durban team from Orlando Pirates, Ncikazi faces a challenging start due to not having a pre-season with the squad. He steps in for Pitso Dladla after the previous coaching staff went five matches without a victory.

In the 2020/21 season, Ncikazi led Golden Arrows to their highest-ever finish of fourth place in the league, before moving to Pirates at the end of that season.

On reflecting his return, Ncikazi shared that although he met his objectives in Soweto, he prefers the challenges of a head coach’s role to the relative ease of being an assistant.

Ncikazi—who faced a narrow loss to AmaZulu in his first match back on Saturday—has a tough challenge ahead on Tuesday when Arrows take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

He emphasized that stabilizing the team is his utmost priority, particularly focusing on an offense that has netted only three goals across nine games.

“I was reviewing my journey throughout the years—my growth as a person, a coach, and as a man, the successes, the memories, and the challenges,” Ncikazi explained.

“Achieving success does not exempt one from experiencing difficult times. It also heightens your awareness of the world around you.

“I will always be thankful to Pirates. As a coach, I often ponder who has tasted such success based on my experiences. But again, it’s important to challenge oneself; to impart whatever knowledge you have to the next generation of players.”

“It would be wonderful to have a prominent team in our province once more. Seeing Arrows regain their former dominance would be fantastic. I remember a time when Khabo Zondo was coaching, and Arrows were formidable and well-respected.

“Now, the province has numerous teams. It’s not about quantity, but about having a truly respected team; it would be great to see one team from KwaZulu-Natal succeed, wouldn’t it?”

The last KwaZulu-Natal club to lift the league title was Gordon Igesund’s Manning Rangers in the inaugural 1996/97 PSL season.

“Durban City took home the Nedbank Cup last season, but let’s aim for the league,” Ncikazi added.

“Why can’t it be Arrows? It’s certainly possible. However, there’s a lot of work ahead. First, let’s establish stability; let’s do things properly; let’s find the back of the net. Scoring and defending are fundamental to the game. Until then, we’ll focus on other developments.”