Golden Arrows head coach Pitso Dladla has opened up about the pressure of succeeding veteran coach Manqoba Mngqithi.
Dladla was appointed to lead Abafana Bes’thende alongside a newly assembled technical team after the club parted ways with its assistant coaches and goalkeeping coach.
Arrows played an exciting brand of football under Mngqithi last season and looked capable of achieving even more before his departure.
The KwaZulu-Natal outfit finished sixth in the Betway Premiership with 41 points from 30 matches.
Dladla, who guided Durban City to Nedbank Cup glory as interim coach, said he is not focused on filling Mngqithi’s shoes. Instead, his priority is building his own team and ensuring they make a strong start to the new season.
“No, to be honest, I’m just focusing on Golden Arrows, the pre-season,” said Dladla.
“For now, that’s the most important thing that we have a good pre-season.
“I don’t look at that [pressure of Mngqithi’s shoes], I try by all means to focus on my team and the boys.
“If we have a good season, I know that we will also be able to have a good start in the league.”
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.