Ncikazi says Pirates youngsters ‘not at fault’ for club failures

Orlando Pirates’ interim coach Mandla Ncikazi has defended the club’s young players following the Buccaneers’ recent poor performances since Jose Riveiro’s departure.

The Buccaneers have only won one match in three games since the Spaniard left the club a few games before the end of the season.

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Ncikazi began his tenure as the interim coach with a 1-1 draw against TS Galaxy in Orlando before edging SuperSport United 1-0 away in Polokwane. Pirates then drew 1-1 with AmaZulu in Durban this past weekend.

Speaking after the game against Usuthu, Ncikazi refused to blame the Pirates youngsters for the recent poor results.  

“Regarding the number of games, we might consider easing the load, but when it comes to experience, I don’t think that’s necessary,” said Ncikazi.

“Fielding [Mohau] Nkota in Egypt and [Simphiwe] Selepe in a Soweto Derby will provide valuable experience.

“The team is developing, and I believe the direction we’re taking is the right one for the growth not only of our team, but of South African football as a whole,” added Ncikazi before urging other Premier Soccer League clubs to follow suit by giving young players a chance to shine.

“It’s a significant step for our club to be bold enough to embrace this process, and perhaps other teams should follow suit. It’s a courageous decision from our club, and I don’t see any fault in it.”

Pirates will ‘improve’ next season

Meanwhile, Ncikazi said that despite Pirates’ failure to topple Mamelodi Sundowns this season, the Buccaneers could still be proud of what they achieved.

The Buccaneers not only closed the gap between them and Sundowns, but they also broke their record for the number of wins in a single league season.  

“The growth that has been mentioned, the narrowing of the gap, the broken records [most wins, 19, so far in a single league season]. The introduced youngsters are positive.

“Yes, we fell short on some objectives that we wanted, and one can only learn from that and improve going into the next season,” concluded Ncikazi.

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Pirates next face Magesi FC at the Orlando Pirates in what could be Ncikazi’s last game in charge of the team. The Buccaneers will announce a new coach before the start of the new season.