Johannesburg — Co-coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids have a tough job ahead of them at Orlando Pirates.
The duo have to win all their remaining matches convincingly or they'll run the risk of being shown the exit door before they could even leave their mark at the club.
Pirates are not only one of the most successful teams in the land, but in Africa, having been crowned continental kings in 1995. And that's why joining the club, as a player or coach, comes with the expectations of delivering titles season in and season out.
But Ncikazi and Davids have done little to show that they can achieve that feat during their six-month at the helm. They’ve blown hot and cold in the league as they trail leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 14 points, although they find themselves in second place.
For that inconsistency, Ncikazi has bemoaned injuries to key players for the better part of the first half of the term. But it seems that Pirates' management are having none of that as an excuse as they want the team to get results, convincingly!
“I was told in the meeting by the management that I complain too much,” Ncikazi said. “Let me try not, but I want to. I still don’t have the opportunity of having a full squad but it is better than it was before. (Vincent) Pule is still out though.”
Ncikazi and Davids have enjoyed little to no success as head coaches at their previous clubs. But at Pirates, they are afforded an opportunity to prove that when “great tacticians come together" they can achieve anything they set their minds on.
It’s only Sundowns that have recently proven that the concept of joint-coaches works. Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena — alongside senior coach Steve Komphela — led the team to their fourth successive championship last season.
But just like the Brazilians' trio have done, the Buccaneers' management want the team to do “more than just winning matches”. They should also matches and titles in style, giving ‘the Ghost’ reassurance they are the right men for the job.
“Working at Pirates (there’s always pressure). I’ve never seen such pressure. You have pressure even after winning the match. You can imagine the pressure after losing the match,” Ncikazi said at the launch of the Nedbank Cup.
Pirates' realistic chance of winning a silverware lie in the Nedbank Cup, given that they are far-behind Sundowns in the league, while they’ll only begin the gruelling group stage of CAF Confederation Cup next Sunday against JS Saoura.
“Every coach, the club and management want to win. Pirates have not won, except for the MTN8 last season, for the past eight years. If the brand is this big, we must emulate that by getting the results that are equal to it,” Ncikazi said.
“It’s important that we do well in the cup. It will be a miracle for any team to bridge a gap of 14 points against Sundowns. It’s only them that can take the title out of their cabinet. The Nedbank gives us a chance to play five games and win."
But the Buccaneers' quest for glory in the Nedbank Cup won’t be easy. This afternoon, they’ll host AmaZulu in the last 32 at Orlando. Usuthu are coached by former Pirates’ striker Benni McCarthy who doesn’t like to lose on-and-off the pitch.
McCarthy and his troops, of whom some have Pirates for Pirates, head to Soweto having been in the news for all sorts of reasons, especially the contractual issues pertaining Siyethembe Sithembe. But Ncikazi knows what to expect.
“That’s even dangerous for me. Sometimes adversity becomes the breakfast of champions. I am even scared that AmaZulu are going through that. Maybe it’s a mind game or reality, but that can turnout to be a strength for them,” he said.
IOL Sport