Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has praised the relationship he has developed with head coach Jose Riveiro, saying it has enabled the club attain the positive results they have since the Spaniard’s appointment in June 2022.
Ncikazi, who has spent more than four years at Pirates, joining them as an assistant in August 2021 and becoming a co-head coach with Fadlu Davids in 2021-22 before the arrival of Riveiro, was speaking to the media ahead of the sold-out Premier Soccer League Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
With Riveiro, the former Lamontville Golden Arrows head coach has won five domestic cup competitions with Pirates and twice finished runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns in the league.
It is, however, the 2024-25 campaign in which the duo’s combination is promising to yield even more, having started far better than usual compared with slow starts in the past two campaigns.
Ncikazi gives credit to Riveiro for giving everyone, including young players such as Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota, a chance to showcase their skills in the senior team.
“Generally, any system that has got time behind it is always better,” Ncikazi said of Riveiro’s success with Bucs.
“You look at Stellenbosch FC with Steve Barker where he started and where he is now. All teams that have kept the technical team the longest tend to perform better.
“The coach and I have a very professional relationship. I can talk to him about having a professional approach. He’s very accommodative to the young players.
“He works very hard, arrives here [at Bucs’ training ground at Rand Stadium] at 8am. He’s a professional coach who has taught all of us in SA that professional coaching doesn’t mean two hours — it means coming from the morning.
“The adaptation of two of us and understanding of what happens in Africa and him bringing the European mentality has worked well for the club.
“I give him my support to the best of my ability. He’s open and we share ideas where they need to be, and I think it’s working for the club.”
Pirates won consecutive derbies last season. Ncikazi insisted Bucs were planning nothing special for Chiefs, who trail them by six points.
“In Kaizer Chiefs we see a team we need points from, and we’re just going there to try to get three points.
“The margin between the two teams is narrow. Defensively we’re almost similar, chance creation we’re similar but the only difference is on goals conceded. They’ve conceded more [16] but any other stats are almost the same.
“We must remember it’s a derby — form and records don’t apply. It’s what happens on the day [that counts] and we’ll try to focus on our performances so we can get a result.”
Ncikazi appreciates the trust Riveiro has shown in the club’s young guns and doesn’t see them being overwhelmed by the occasion of the Soweto derby having played big matches this season on the continent.
“I don’t see them being overshadowed by the moment. We believe in them and the coach trusts them. If given an opportunity I’m sure they’ll perform.”
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