The announcement of Mandla Ncikazi's appointment as head coach of Golden Arrows came days after he left Orlando Pirates, putting him back in a familiar setting.

It wasn't long after the Durban-based club confirmed Pitso Dladla's departure due to a poor run of results that they announced Ncikazi's recruiting.

Arrows will be under Ncikazi's direction for a second stint, after his successful 2020–21 campaign in which the club finished in fourth place. In an effort to turn their Betway Premiership fortunes around, he has brought a seasoned coach back to a team he is familiar with.

Questions about his situation had been floating about before his departure became known, thus his arrival couldn't have come at a more momentous time for Pirates. His departure was already a hot topic before this latest development, which came only days before the Soweto Derby.

With Orlando Pirates, Ncikazi was a member of a winning coaching combination that took home nine titles. Now he must deal with a new problem at Arrows, a team that has had trouble converting draws into wins so far this league season.

After eight games in the league, the team has amassed eight points thanks to a victory, five draws, and two losses. The squad needs more consistency if it wants to climb the rankings, but those results have kept Arrows competitive.

With a Carling Knockout Round of 16 match against Chippa United looming on the horizon, Ncikazi must quickly assist his team in regaining momentum and producing results.

With Saturday's encounter at King Zwelithini Stadium slated for 15:00, the new coach will have little time to get settled before taking on his first significant challenge.

The Arrows are banking on Ncikazi to make a difference thanks to his history with the club and his stint with a major football club in South Africa.

Ncikazi may use this chance to regain his coaching momentum in Durban upon his return. Following a rough start to the season, Golden Arrows will look at this appointment as a chance to start over.

The next question is whether the returning coach can have an instant effect and lead Arrows to more regular results in league and cup games.

Source: https://x.com/kickoffmagazine/status/2113305747387793913?s=46