Mandla Ncikazi, Assistant coach of Golden Arrows, April 2019Backpagepix

Ncikazi is not the right man for Orlando Pirates - Makhanya

Former Orlando Pirates star Joseph Makhanya has claimed the Premier Soccer League side is too big for Mandla Ncikazi to handle.

Ncikazi was incorporated into the Bucs technical team on Friday after partying ways with Golden Arrows and Makhanya believes the tactician showed ability with his previous club but Pirates come with a whole new and bigger challenge.

"I still felt he was right where he was [at Arrows], he was still finding himself," Makhanya told KickOff.com.

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"With the pressure that comes with coaching Pirates, I don't think he's the right man, but as long as he's got proper support, he can do well.

"He showed at Arrows that he's got the capabilities of being a good coach, but still I think it was too soon for him to leave them for Pirates. I think there's too much pressure there." 

Makhanya further stated that the former Maritzburg United tactician needs to hone his skills for more seasons in order to develop attributes that will make him successful at a club like Pirates.

"I feel he still needed to establish himself for three or four seasons before he could consider [coaching] teams like Pirates, because sometimes these teams can break you instead of build you. The pressure is too much," added the former Moroka Swallows star.

"For now, he [Ncikazi] can be an assistant and maybe the club finds somebody who is stronger as a head coach. That's if Pirates are looking for a coach, because the current coach has not left yet.

"As much as you want to strengthen your technical team, the coaches need to have a similar style. They can't believe in different philosophies. 

"If you look at Fadlu [Davids], he's a firm believer of transitions like [Ernst] Middendorp, there will surely be a clash if you partner him with someone like, let's say, Dan Malesela. 

"But at the end of the day, this is only my opinion. As an assistant at Pirates, I have no doubt he will have an impact, but as a head coach, I think his time is still coming."

Ncikazi has joined Bucs while head coach Jozef Zinnbauer's future remains uncertain.

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