Manqoba Mngqithi wary of KZN derby trap in Nedbank Cup

LAMONTVILLE Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has voiced his disappointment at seeing KwaZulu-Natal rivals eliminating each other in the Round of 16 of the Nedbank Cup, even as he acknowledged the broader progress being made by football in the province.

While Golden Arrows prepare for a tough assignment against Stellenbosch FC on Saturday, the cup draw has thrown up two all-KZN encounters elsewhere. 

AmaZulu FC will face Richards Bay FC, while Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford FC lock horns with ABC Motsepe League outfit Mkhambathi FC.

For Mngqithi, the frustration lies not in rivalry, but in lost opportunity.

“I think it’s everyone’s wish for the province to do well,” he said. 

“I even hoped that we didn’t have any provincial derbies in this competition until the latter stages because I thought that would maximise the chances of a KZN team achieving the ultimate.”

His comments speak to a long-held ambition among football stakeholders in the province — to see KwaZulu-Natal clubs not merely participate, but contend deep into national competitions.

Yet, despite his reservations, Mngqithi was quick to recognise the positives emerging from this year’s draw.

“But let’s wait and see,” he added. “It’s very good to see all of these teams at this stage of the competition, it’s something we’ve always wanted.”

The Arrows coach believes the current landscape reflects a shift in mindset around talent development in the province, which has historically supplied players to clubs across the country.

“In the past our teams were more worried about getting players everywhere else,” he said,

“but now we’re beginning to see the potential of KZN and how rich it is and we’re trying to develop them into better players.”

On the pitch, Arrows arrive at this stage with contrasting narratives. 

They remain one of the highest-scoring teams in the country, but defensive lapses have often undermined their attacking promise. 

Encouragingly, Abafana Bes’thende recently kept back-to-back clean sheets against Orbit College and Magesi FC — a rare moment of stability at the back.

“We’ve always defended well,” Mngqithi insisted. 

“I think we were just unlucky because I can pull up ten matches where just a single error from someone and we would suddenly concede.”

Even so, he remains wary of complacency. 

“Even in the last two games, we could’ve conceded because there were moments where we commit silly mistakes and end up putting the team under pressure.”

As the Nedbank Cup enters its decisive phase, Mngqithi’s hope is that progress — both provincial and personal — begins to align when it matters most.