Dikgacoi backs Mngqithi’s bold title ambitions at Golden Arrows

Golden Arrows assistant coach Kagiso Dikgacoi has thrown his support behind Manqoba Mngqithi’s bold ambition to mount a Betway Premiership title challenge, saying the veteran coach has already transformed the club’s mentality behind the scenes.

Mngqithi returned to Arrows late last season after parting ways with Mamelodi Sundowns, reuniting with a club where he built his name in the early 2000s. 

He took over a side battling for consistency and managed to steady the ship, helping Abafana Bes’thende secure a 12th-place finish — two points shy off a top-eight spot.

Now, with a full pre-season under his belt, Mngqithi has made it clear that he’s aiming higher. 

For Dikgacoi, who played under Mngqithi during his first spell at Arrows before securing a move abroad, the ambition is refreshing and familiar.

“We obviously didn’t do well last season until he came in, and he immediately demanded intensity from the players,” said Dikgacoi. “That shifted the mentality a little in the changeroom.”

Although Arrows missed out on a top-eight finish, the improvement under Mngqithi’s short tenure was evident. And now with the off-season to fine-tune the squad and structure, the technical team believes the club can push into new territory.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t make the top eight like we’d hoped, but he is someone that wants to win things,” Dikgacoi added. “He’s won cups and league titles, and that’s the mentality he’s instilling in us. 

“Hopefully we’re gonna be able to do that this season with the players we’ve got and the players we’ve also let go.”

Arrows have undergone subtle changes in personnel, but the biggest shift has come in the tone and culture within the squad. 

Mngqithi, a multiple league winner with Sundowns, has brought championship expectations into a dressing room that previously settled for mid-table comfort.

“It’s exciting to work with him,” Dikgacoi continued. “He used to be my coach, so I know what he expects from his players — and he’s still the same person.”

For the former Bafana Bafana midfielder, the transition from player to coach alongside a mentor he once played under has been both challenging and rewarding.

 “He’s a veteran coach, I’m learning a lot from him,” he said. 

“As I’ve said before, he’s won a lot of titles and I’m hoping I can win more with him here at Arrows.”

The club, based in Lamontville, has always been known for developing exciting young talent and playing an expansive brand of football. 

But under Mngqithi, there’s now a harder edge — an insistence on tactical discipline, intensity, and results.

With the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season fast approaching, Arrows will enter the campaign with quiet confidence. 

Having missed out on the top eight by a narrow margin, they now look set to punch above their weight.

And if Mngqithi’s influence continues to grow, Dikgacoi’s belief in chasing silverware at Arrows may not be as far-fetched as it once sounded.