Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has taken aim at Kaizer Chiefs, accusing the Soweto giants of failing to back local coaches with enough time and patience. He believes the club would be in a stronger position today had they stuck with Arthur Zwane.
Over the past decade, Chiefs have appointed six South African coaches, yet none—apart from Steve Komphela—lasted more than a single season. Mngqithi insists both Komphela and Zwane were unfairly dismissed despite making progress with limited resources.
“I supported Zwane because I saw the work he did, guiding Chiefs into the tough CAF Champions League,” Mngqithi told Isolezwe. “The same thing happened to Steve [Komphela]. He was shown the door even though he consistently kept the team near the top. If management had been patient with them, Chiefs would already be back at the summit of South African football.”
Praise for Komphela and Zwane
Mngqithi applauded the two coaches for the strides they’ve made since leaving Naturena.
“Under their leadership, Chiefs played quality football. Yet neither was given the calibre of players that other coaches enjoyed,” he said. “The positive thing is that both have moved on and are now doing remarkable work elsewhere.”
Before joining Golden Arrows last year, Mngqithi himself was linked with a move to Chiefs. However, the club opted for Nasreddine Nabi instead. Despite leading Amakhosi to the Nedbank Cup, Nabi was dismissed in October, leaving his assistants to steer the team for the remainder of the season.