Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi is giving Junior Dion some serious credit. After the team's Carling Knockout exit at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday night, Ncikazi called the midfielder "the coach on the field." Fans are already talking about it online.

The loss was a tough one. Arrows went down 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld, with Iqraam Rayners heading in the winner in the 69th minute. That goal sent Sundowns into the semi-finals and ended Arrows' cup run. Still, the mood around the club is not all doom and gloom.

Ncikazi says Dion is the one who keeps the team together when things get messy on the pitch. The coach often hands his instructions to Dion, and Dion then passes them on to the rest of the players. In other words, Dion is the bridge between the technical bench and the players who are running around in the heat. For a squad that has to work hard every week in the Betway Premiership, that kind of role matters a lot.

"Junior is the captain, he is experienced," Ncikazi explained.

He went even further with his praise: "There's a coach inside the field and that's Dion."

Those words say a lot. Dion is not just scoring or setting up attacks. He is also the voice that organises his teammates, calls out the moves and keeps everyone focused. Not every player can do that, and it is the kind of work that rarely gets the headlines.

The coach was not all smiles, though. Ncikazi praised the defensive shape his side showed against one of the strongest teams in African football. But he was clearly not happy with the decisions in the final third. His players had chances, and they did not make the most of them. He also pointed to set pieces and the quality of the final pass as areas that need work. He did say the players worked hard and stuck to the game plan, which is something fans can hold onto.

There is also a bigger story here. Ncikazi is back at Arrows after his time at Orlando Pirates, and he is trying to rebuild the club's dressing room. Leaders like Dion could be the key to that process. A team with a captain who backs the coach and speaks the same language on the pitch is a team that can grow.

So the cup dream is over for now, but the focus shifts back to league football. Dion is expected to keep playing a central role as Abafana Bes'thende try to bounce back.

Do you think a player like Junior Dion is worth more to a team than a goalscorer, or is goals still the only thing that really counts in football?

Source https://x.com/Soccer_Laduma/status/2117874553007305073?a=l6zd_nG4V5ENwn-vr7Y&s=19