Orlando Pirates' assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi Mandla Ncikazi has been Orlando Pirates' assistant coach for a number of years, and deserves a chance to be in charge of the team when Jose Riveiro leaves at the end of the season. Photo: Abbas Farda/BackpagePix
Image: Abbas Farda/BackpagePix
With Orlando Pirates on the search for a new head coach following the announcement that Jose Riveiro will be leaving at the end of the season, a number of names have been mentioned as his possible successor.
Perennial title winner Pitso Mosimane has been the name on everyone’s lips. Jingles is currently jobless after leaving his last club, and a move to Pirates would seem logical.
Another name mentioned has been that of Mosimane’s protégé Rulani Mokwena, who won the lot during his time in charge of Mamelodi Sundowns, but has been having a tough time at Wydad Casablanca, where he is reportedly fighting to save his job.
Even newly appointed Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi has been thrown in, as has Milutin Sredojević, the Serb who has already had two spells with the Soweto giants. However, it would be best if the club steered well clear of Micho.
A name that you won’t see mentioned among the front runners, but deserves to be, is that of Mandla Ncikazi, who is currently the assistant coach at the Buccaneers.
Over the last decade, Ncikazi has quietly built his career at Golden Arrows, Maritzburg United, and now Orlando Pirates. In that time, he has served as assistant coach to the likes of Steve Komphela, Josef Zinnbauer, and Riveiro. He will surely have picked up a lot from them.
During his brief spell as Maritzburg coach back in 2015, Ncikazi showed he did have the tactical acumen to succeed. The main reason he failed in that job was the lack of quality players on the club’s roster, as well as a high number of injuries.
At Arrows, he took them as far as he could, and was ultimately hampered by a lack of resources that tends to hold back clubs from KwaZulu-Natal.
Ncikazi represents continuity, stability, and deep institutional knowledge — qualities that are often overlooked in favour of flashy appointments. But Pirates must resist the temptation to chase headlines and instead back a coach who understands the culture, the players, and the expectations that come with the black and white jersey.
In Ncikazi, they wouldn’t just be appointing a familiar face — they’d be promoting a football man who has earned his stripes and is more than ready to lead from the front. His tactical understanding, calm leadership, and years of behind-the-scenes experience make him a far more compelling candidate than many realise.
IOL Sport
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