Like most coaching changes in South African football, the news was announced quietly. No cameras positioned along a tunnel for a press conference. No lengthy parting words. Just a contract that expired at the end of June and a coach who had performed admirably by most standards. The timing of Manqoba Mngqithi‘s departure from Golden Arrows has drawn more attention than most people are willing to acknowledge.
Last season, he led the Lamontville team to sixth place in the standings. That’s a big deal for a team that has been fighting in the bottom half of the Betway Premiership for years. It’s among their best finishes in a long time. And yet here we are, witnessing him vacate his Durban office as the club transitions to Pitso Dladla, who has traveled just a short distance from Durban City.
The entire arrangement has an intriguing quality. Despite finishing in the top half and winning the Nedbank Cup, Dladla was fired from Durban City. Football frequently seems to penalize success in ways that don’t immediately make sense, especially in this league. Even if you finish better than expected and win a trophy, you might still be looking for a new job by July.
Mike Makaab, Mngqithi’s agent, has been open about the current situation. In an interview with Soccer Laduma, he stated that opportunities outside of South Africa are currently the main focus. He acknowledged that there has been local interest, but nothing that truly fits. His use of the phrase “the right project” was telling. Not just any club, not just any salary. Something that aligns with Mngqithi’s career goals at this point.
That phase is important. He’s not a young coach looking to make a name for himself. Before accepting the Arrows position and demonstrating his ability to manage a team on his own terms, he worked with some of the most illustrious names in the local game for years inside the Mamelodi Sundowns machine. Reading between the lines of Makaab’s remarks gives the impression that Mngqithi is searching for something substantial. An important project. The kind of position where a coach with his background can truly mold a team instead of fighting every week.
It’s unclear where that will lead him. In recent years, South African coaches have found a thriving market in North Africa. Another option is the Gulf, where clubs are frequently prepared to support foreign coaches with budgets that local teams just cannot match. In any case, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be sitting on a Premiership bench come August.
Arrows is reassembling their technical staff around Dladla in the interim. Former Bloemfontein Celtic defender James Madidilane has joined as an assistant. Following Marcus Mashilo’s transfer to Marumo Gallants, Jacob Mokhasi assumes the role of goalkeeper coach. Mngqithi’s assistants, Musa Bilankulu and Kagisho Dikgacoi, are not present. In just a few weeks, the dugout will be almost entirely renovated.
This is a component of a larger league-wide trend. Fernando Da Cruz, a Frenchman with Ligue 1 and CAF Champions League experience, has joined Kaizer Chiefs. Despite Eric Tinkler’s departure following a fifth-place finish, Sekhukhune United has given Cedric Kaze his first head coaching position. Polokwane City’s Phuti Mohafe has been pursued by Marumo Gallants. As usual, Chippa United is doing Chippa things, converting Brandon Truter’s temporary contract into a longer-term one.
It’s difficult not to feel that the Premiership is shedding skin once more as you watch all of this happen. Coaches with strong finishes are eliminated. There are new names coming in. Despite the evidence from the previous season suggesting otherwise, the clubs appear certain that this is the way to go.
The coming months will reveal a great deal about Mngqithi. He might vanish from local news for a few years and reappear as something completely different if the right offer comes from overseas. The conversation will change once more if it doesn’t. Although South African football has a short memory, a coach who quietly performs his duties is rarely forgotten. The story is far from over, whether the next chapter takes place in Casablanca, Riyadh, or somewhere closer to home.
