Mngqithi outlines what Arrows must ‘control’ to beat Chiefs

Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes that focusing on controlling his troops’ “anxiety” will be the key to beating an in-form Kaizer Chiefs side this Saturday.

Mngqithi’s men will host the Glamour Boys at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in what promises to be a challenging match. Kickoff is set for 17:30 [SA time] in Durban.

The KZN-based side is coming off a midweek win against Magesi FC, their second victory of the season, which Mngqithi believes has set them up well for the tough encounter.

Chiefs, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after a goalless draw with Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday, which followed a streak of three consecutive league wins.

Match Day!

🏆#BetwayPrem
⚽️Lamontville Golden Arrows vs. Kaizer Chiefs
👕First Team
🗓️Saturday 30 August 2025
🏟Moses Mabhida Stadium
🕞17h30
📺SuperSport PSL
🎟R80 – Open Tickets, Shoprite: https://t.co/NRVgSP2Vb5#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome pic.twitter.com/VbACnmj6BR

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 30, 2025

Mngqithi, a former Sundowns mentor, explained that while the motivation to play a big team like Chiefs is naturally high, it brings a risk of anxiety that can hinder performance.

“I don’t think it’s up to me to motivate them [the players] for the Chiefs game,” he said. “Against Chiefs, the level of intrinsic motivation is very high. You must just try to control the anxiety, because when the motivation is that high, there’s a very big chance of anxiety, which is an enemy of good technical execution.”

The coach emphasised that winning against smaller clubs is key to a successful season, a lesson he learned during his time at Sundowns.

“I always say the success of Sundowns in the championship has always been hinging around them beating all these smaller teams,” he noted. “We hardly had seasons where we would win all the big matches, but when we win the smaller matches, it’s important because they are more than the so-called big matches.”

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