In his time as Orlando Pirates skipper, Thabo Mngomeni played like a man possessed, uncompromising in the midfield and as protective of his teammates as a hen of its chicks.
These days, like many former Bucs greats, the 52-year-old Mngomeni worries a lot about the state of the Soweto giants.
Mngomeni doesn’t mince his words in calling for the club’s management to review their decision on the coaching duet of Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids, which he feels is out of tune.
Ncikazi was highly regarded as a head coach at Lamontville Golden Arrows and Davids brought a level of excitement at Maritzburg United.
The duo has battled with consistency at Pirates, raising questions about whether the club needs to get a coach from outside. Is that even a solution because most of those they brought in in the last decade have been no great shakes?
“I think Pirates must just make Ncikazi a head coach,” Mngomeni, a former Bafana Bafana player, offers. “This thing of the co-coaches makes you wonder who’s really making the final decision and who is to blame when the plans go wrong.”
Born in Eerste River in Cape Town, Mngomeni — who emerged at Cape Town Spurs and had a great stint at Umtata Bush Bucks before gaining real prominence at Bucs between 1998 and 2002 — says nothing pains him more than the fact that Pirates will complete a 10th season without winning a league title.
“Pirates is a great institution and they don’t deserve this long drought as far as winning the league is concerned,” says Mngomeni.
Pirates is a great institution and they don’t deserve this long drought as far as winning the league is concerned
— Thabo Mngomeni
“The supporters, oh my God, I feel bad for them because I know how much they love and sacrifice for this club. We need a coach who’s going to take responsibility for the team. A coach who’s trusted by the players and everyone. I think Ncikazi is the one.”
Under Ncikazi and Davids it’s been difficult to gauge where the Bucs ships is sailing. The best that Pirates can still do is finish second in the log behind runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns to qualify for next year’s Caf Champions League.
Bucs are still in with a chance in the Nedbank Cup after they made it into the last 16 and are away to Royal Leopards of Eswatini today in the Caf Confederation Cup’s Group B match that they must win to boost their chances of progressing to the last eight.
Bucs administrator Floyd Mbhele bristles at those, like Mngomeni, who are calling for a review of the Bucs set-up. “Respectfully, I don’t think it’s fair to talk about the performance of the team mid-season. There’s no company that gets an audit midway trough a financial year,” he said.
“What you’re asking me to do is not correct. Companies wait until the end of the year to conduct an audit, is that not true? If we’re asked the same question at the end of the season we might be able to give answers.”
Mngomeni also weighed in on Ncikazi’s bizarre comments on why they can’t find a place in the starting line-up for red hot Malawian striker Gabadinho Mhango, who shone at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon last month.
“Like any other Pirates player, Mhango must fight for the jersey. That he scored some spectacular goals for his country in Cameroon doesn’t mean he must then walk into the team’s starting XI,” said Mongomeni.
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