Mandla Ncikazi ruins Benni McCarthy’s day with DStv Premiership prediction

Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi has downplayed a so-called crisis at Mamelodi Sundowns after his side ensured the champions dropped points for a fourth straight match.

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Golden Arrows have now gone unbeaten in their previous nine league matches and showed a stubborn rearguard to reduce the Brazilians to just three shots on target, none of which really tested Abafana Bes’thende goalkeeper Sifiso Mlungwana.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ lead has been trimmed to one point by AmaZulu, but they have two games in hand while Golden Arrows are in third, five points adrift of Mamelodi Sundowns, having played two more matches.

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Brazilians co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi, in his post-match press conference, made the claim the Golden Arrows will have a big hand in the outcome of the title race.

But Mandla Ncikazi suggests the title race is already a foregone conclusion.

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“Even I hear the noise about the league. The cup is in Sundowns’ cabinet,” said Ncikazi.

“It’s only Sundowns who can take it out for competition. I don’t see the crisis. This is a good team. They have the capacity to come back.”

“I’m happy we kept a clean sheet against the best team in the country. Our boys gave their all. When you perform this way against such a good team, you can only be proud. It would have been nice to win but again let’s be cautious and a point is a fair result.

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“What everybody sees I don’t see. This noise. For me I’m realistic if you look at the number of points and what might happen. I don’t see Sundowns going with a barren season like it is happening.

“But this is football. I’m saying that cautiously so. If AmaZulu wins they are a team from our province. Being a citizen of that province, it will be good. But I’m realistic.

“There’s still games to be played. Shalulile comes back, maybe things might chance. But I’m just cautious. I don’t see what everyone sees. I just see a competition where Sundowns can only take the cup out of their cabinet for competition. For now it’s in their cabinet.”

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Ncikazi then turned his attention to the KwaZulu-Natal derby with AmaZulu this weekend.

“One thing these players have taught me is to trust them. We haven’t lost to AmaZulu. Even in the cup we lost on penalties. First round we beat them convincingly and I am confident. They haven’t lost in a long time so why can’t they lose against Arrows? It’s possible with this team that I have,” he concluded.

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