Mngqithi plays down Pirates and Sundowns links to Siyanda Ndlovu

Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has dismissed speculation linking in-form winger Siyanda Ndlovu to Gauteng giants Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, suggesting the player has ambitions beyond the local league.

Ndlovu, 22, has been a revelation for Abafana Besthende this season. With nine goal contributions, he sits just behind teammate Sede Dion (10) as one of the club’s most productive attackers. His form, capped by a Player of the Month award in September, has inevitably drawn attention from the Betway Premiership’s wealthier clubs.

However, Mngqithi insists there is “nothing tangible” on the table and believes the rumours are often generated to unsettle players.

The veteran coach also praised Ndlovu’s professionalism, noting his dedication to video analysis and tactical discipline. Mngqithi credits Ndlovu’s rise to a positional shift, moving from a traditional winger hugging the touchline to an inverted threat operating in the “half-spaces” and central corridors.

Mngqithi slams ‘tangible-less’ Ndlovu rumours amidst Pirates and Sundowns talk

“Generally that is very tough for a coach to deal with because it differs from player to player, because others, once they hear some things said about them, even when Laduma shows a picture after one match, then you can see hey the boy is now struggling to fit into these taxis and ubers, they now start to think you must hire a bus for him to come to training because suddenly he becomes too big,” Mngqithi said.

“But particularly about Ndlovu is a very humble boy, and he still appreciates the learning because he knows the areas of the game, I’m still very unhappy about, he knows how much of an improvement he can still make within Golden Arrows before anything else.

“At the same time, most of these rumours are not proper, because these teams like to talk in the media to destabilise, not necessarily because there’s anything tangible. I can tell you at this stage there’s nothing tangible…

“So, talk is usually escalated so that the club gets fed up sometimes or the player starts to say ‘hey can I go?’ but a boy like Squishy is a marvel to have, one of the youngest working hard boys, very professional and dedicated to the game and very grounded. For a coach like me, it’s always a pleasure to work with a boy like that, because I can guarantee he’s never given us any trouble, he’s that serious face every day at training, amongst the first to get to the pitch, amongst the first to get to the video analysis room.”

Mngqithi to Pirates and Sundowns: Ndlovu has bigger ambitions than Joburg

“He works very hard to watch his matches, to ask for advice… if a young boy comes to you and says ‘coach you were saying we must do this, but I did this and made a mistake, but I thought this was going to work better than this’ – you are able to advise and you see growth in his performances.

“And his positional sense, than anything else, is probably the biggest difference with him is being in more dangerous positions than in the past, as in the past he would dribble full-backs there in the wings and put a cross in from far. But now most of his dribbles are either in the assist zone, the half spaces or in the central corridors, and that has helped him improve so much in terms of assists and the goals he’s scoring.

“But I can be honest with you, I don’t feel any problem with him at this stage

Regarding a potential move to Johannesburg, Mngqithi remained defiant. “I don’t foresee anything like that because the boy has probably got even bigger ambitions than what people think will entice him. He says that he has the potential to achieve far more than just a bus trip to Joburg.”