Golden Arrows Head Coach Mandla Ncikazi says, that while he appreciates the efforts from all of his players so far this season, he is hoping for even more as they approach the final third of the season.
Arrows have been the season’s surprise package, and are currently second on the DStv Premiership table, four points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
They are also the co-top scorers in the league, with 30 goals in their 20 games so far, though Ncikazi admits they could have scored a lot more.
The Arrows coach is also not getting ahead of himself. He says while that may be second on the table, the only thing they’ve mathematically done so far this season is avoid relegation. He says the next step is to mathematically confirm a finish in the top eight, and only then will he look at finishing any higher.
Sixth placed Swallows, who are four points further back, host Arrows at the Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
“There are aspects in our game that we must improve, we’re not as clinical in front of goal for the number of chances that we create in front of goal, I think we should be scoring more,” Ncikazi told the club’s media department.
“We do appreciate that the team is the best scorers currently, with Cape Town City, we have 30 goals and it’s good for our team, we would love to decrease a bit in conceding if we’re number one in scoring, would love to be number one also defensively.”
“Appreciating the effort of the players that they’ve done. They’ve been wonderful and exceptional in everything that they’re doing today. I normally don’t put pressure on our team, in where I want to see our team competing next season. I take everything as it happens.”
“Firstly, we avoided relegation based on the points and mathematically on the points that we have currently. The next step is to try and work towards the top eight. When we are guaranteed mathematically that we will finish in the top eight, then we’ll start looking for positions of how high can we finish in the top eight.”
“I’m not even looking at anything further than that. If the points that we gather at that point, give us the leverage of playing for any competition, then we will welcome that as a club.”
“We don’t want to change our goals that we put for ourselves in the beginning of the season. Too much expectation can create too much disappointment and we don’t want to do that to our players. I think it will be unfair. The players have been very good to us.”
