Kwanda Mngonyama’s Orlando Pirates’ Career Cut Short After 1 Season, Coach With a Grudge to Blame

Kwanda Mngonyama’s Orlando Pirates’ Career Cut Short After 1 Season, Coach With a Grudge to Blame

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:05 PM
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  • Kwanda Mngonyama was released by Orlando Pirates after spending just one season with the Soweto club
  • An Orlando Pirates coach is believed to be the reason why Kwanda Mngonyama was let go after just one season
  • Kwanda Mngonyama played just nine games for Orlando Pirates, with 3 of those coming in the CAF Confederation Cup

Kwanda Mngonyama was seen as a marquee signing for Orlando Pirates in 2021, but the defender was surprisingly released a year later.

Mngonyama, who was signed from Maritzburg United, was one of many players shown the door at the Buccaneers ahead of the new season. He still had a year left on his contract, though.

Kwanda Mngonyama, Orlando Pirates, Career, Buccaneers, Fadlu Davids, Mandla Ncikazi, Grudge, Blame, Sport, South Africa, Football, Dictator
Kwanda Mngonyama made just 9 appearances for Orlando Pirates and was released with a year left on his contract because of a grudge a coach had against him. Image: @GOALcomSA/ @KickOffMagazine
Source: Twitter

The Citizen now reported that Mngonyama’s time at the club was already doomed from the moment he got there because of a problem he had with one of the coaching staff.

The publication did not mention who the coach is, but only that he had a grudge against Mngonyama from his days at Maritzburg United. Both Fadlu Davids and Mandla Ncikazi are former Maritzburg United coaches.

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“He thought they could bury the hatchet and be professional because they were now at a big club. But that did not happen and they ended up having a big bust-up which almost ended badly,” a source told the publication.

The source added that the coach in question held grudges against many players and almost came to blows with his former co-coach as well.

“He is known for his dictatorial tendencies and he has made a lot of enemies in the game especially among coaches,” said the source.

Davids was released by Pirates as well during the off-season, while Ncikazi remains at the club as an assistant coach. Mngonyama featured in nine games for Pirates. Three came in the CAF Confederation Cup, while the other six were in the DStv Premiership, The South African reported.

Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi reportedly surprised by Jose Riveiro's announcement as the new boss

Mandla Ncikazi was reported to have been surprised by the arrival of Jose Riveiro as the new Orlando Pirates coach.

As reported by Sports Brief, Riveiro was announced last week Saturday and will steer the club on a three-year-long deal. According to a club insider, the day before the Spaniard Riveiro was revealed, Ncikazi had a meeting with the players planning for the season.

Ncikazi's former colleague Fadlu Davids departed the club three weeks ago, with Pirates having no plans of letting Ncikazi leave too, stating that he will serve in some capacity as an assistant coach.

Mandla Ncikazi to remain With Orlando Pirates after Fadlu Davids' departure

It has been reported that interim Orlando Pirates coach Mandla Ncikazi is staying put at the club.

This is despite rumours swirling of an array of possible candidates being looked at to replace him and former co-coach Fadlu Davids.

Earlier this month, the club parted ways with Fadlu Davids. Davids joined the club in January 2019 as an assistant to Milutin Sredojevic and took on the co-head coaching role with Ncikazi.

Authors
Byron Pillay photo
Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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DStv PremiershipSouth Africa