Orlando Pirates have confirmed that assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi is leaving the club to take up a head coaching job at another Premier Soccer League team. The announcement came only a few hours after head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou faced questions about Ncikazi and told the media there was no problem between them.

Ouaddou spoke at a press conference on Thursday ahead of the Bucs’ Champions League match. He said Ncikazi had been recovering from surgery and that everything was fine at the club. He also warned people not to invent stories about tension in the technical team. Shortly after those comments, the club released an official statement confirming Ncikazi’s departure.

Pirates said the decision followed a meeting with management earlier in the day. Ncikazi told the club he wanted the chance to lead a team again. The club gave him its full support to take the new role. The statement did not name the club he is joining, but reports have linked him strongly with a return to Golden Arrows.

Ncikazi has been part of the Orlando Pirates technical team since 2021. He worked mainly as an assistant coach under different managers, including José Riveiro and Abdeslam Ouaddou. He also had a short period as co-coach. During his time at the Soweto club he was involved in nine trophy wins. The club said he always represented Pirates with distinction.

Club chairman Dr Irvin Khoza thanked Ncikazi for his contribution. “Mandla leaves with our gratitude and our blessing. His contribution to Orlando Pirates has been evident throughout his time with us. We respect his wish to pursue this new opportunity and wish him success as he takes on a new responsibility,” Khoza said.

Ncikazi’s absence from the bench in recent matches had raised questions. Some reports claimed there was a fallout between him and Ouaddou. The coach rejected those claims and said the absence was only because of the surgery. The club’s quick announcement after Ouaddou’s comments has ended weeks of speculation about the assistant’s future.

Pirates fans will now wait to see who replaces Ncikazi on the technical bench as the team continues its campaign on two fronts. The move ends a five-year stay at the Buccaneers for the experienced coach.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2113266797486973165