Manqoba Mngqithi focused on long-term growth as Lamontville Golden Arrows prepare for Nedbank Cup clash

LAMONTVILLE Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi says his team’s recent struggles are part of a broader rebuilding phase as they prepare for their Nedbank Cup last-32 clash against Orbit College at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday (6pm kick-off).

Since returning to the club following his departure from Mamelodi Sundowns, Mngqithi has been focused on rebuilding Abafana Bes’thende, with the team still trying to establish consistency in the Betway Premiership. 

The Nedbank Cup fixture offers a welcome shift in focus and an opportunity to regain momentum as they continue working towards stability.

Arrows’ season has been defined by a mix of positive moments and disappointing results. Their victory over champions Sundowns early in the season highlighted the team’s potential, but inconsistency has continued to deny them sustained momentum despite encouraging performances. 

As the campaign enters the second half, the encounter against Orbit could proved significant in determining their direction moving forward.

The KwaZulu-Natal side head into the encounter without a win in their last five matches, but they will take confidence from their previous meeting with Orbit at Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale, where they recorded a convincing 3-0 victory.

Speaking about their recent results, Mngqithi said that despite the team’s struggles, the main focus remains on the long-term objective of building the squad to the standards he expects.

“I am not looking at it in that perspective, I am looking at the growth and the process, also the team dynamics and group tactics and which direction we are taking with each game we are playing,”Mngqithi said.

“Each game we are playing always sends a message that we are going in the right direction and I have to be patient with this process and fight to see the team finishing in a decent position on the log.”

The former Sundowns coach added that they have not always been rewarded for their performances this season but still maintains he is happy with the progress he has seen.

“In most of the games we have lost I didn’t think the team deserved to lose most of them.

“I do not want to mention them one by one, but probably in those games we were our own worst enemies. We did not deserve to find ourselves on the back foot, but in football you must expect that when you are working with a younger team.

“I am just happy with the progress that individual players are making, and I hope very soon I will be saying I am happy with the group and how, in terms of tactics, things are working.”

With the Nedbank Cup fixtures adding to the busy schedule, the season is entering a demanding period, particularly as teams push for top-eight and higher positions. Mngqithi reiterated that the priority is to improve team understanding, strengthen combinations on the field and build consistency in both performances and selection.

“I would love to rotate the team, but at this stage I think we still have to work on our chemistry and development of team dynamics. We are still all over the place — we have to settle.

“We are at the stage where we must know our main starting 11 and we are just cutting the fat here and there and trying to get closer to a team we can select consistently. 

“Fortunately, we do not have too many competitions we are competing in, and my wish is to see the team settling down and being a little bit more consistent in our line-up, and we are close to that.”