With his formal announcement, Mandla Ncikazi has rejoined the KwaZulu-Natal club Lamontville Golden Arrows as head coach. Ncikazi had previously left Orlando Pirates.

In an effort to secure a head coaching position for the rest of the 2026–27 Betway Premiership season, Golden Arrows made the statement on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

With immediate effect, Ncikazi takes over for Pitso Dladla, whose dismissal was verified by the club.

When introducing their new head coach, Golden Arrows were overjoyed to have Ncikazi return to Abafana Bes'thende, the club where he had before great success.

With this appointment, Ncikazi is going back to a place he is comfortable with thanks to his lengthy history with the club and his familiarity with its goals, culture, and organisational structure.

Among Golden Arrows' most remarkable campaigns in South African top-flight football was in 2020–21, when Ncikazi was head coach. His team finished fourth in the league.

During that time, he accomplished a lot, which contributed to his image as a coach who could lead the squad to competitive success with few resources.

Ncikazi was a member of Orlando Pirates' technical staff for a number of seasons after leaving Golden Arrows in 2021.

He helped the Soweto club win domestic titles while collaborating with José Riveiro and Abdeslam Ouaddou, among others, as head coach.

During his stint at Orlando Pirates, Ncikazi was a member of the technical staff that helped the club win nine titles. He was most often used as an assistant coach, although he did have several co-coaching gigs as well.

After consulting with upper management, Orlando Pirates stated that Ncikazi had asked to go, with the coach citing his desire to take on a new head coaching role.

He was praised by club chairman Irvin Khoza, who also wished him well in his future endeavours.

After a shaky start to their league campaign, the Durban-based club Golden Arrows are looking for more consistency, and his return to the team comes at a key juncture of the season.

Improving the team's performances, re-establishing confidence among the players, and assisting the club in reaching its Betway Premiership goals would be Ncikazi's initial job.

His hiring means that Golden Arrows will be led by someone who is already acquainted with the squad. This is yet another chance for Ncikazi to show what he can do as a head coach at the highest level of South African football.

Source: https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2113286282260648107